Two in a row for Mattia Bellucci. After accessing the Roland Garros draw, the blue will be among the 128 who will play Wimbledon: beaten in four sets David Goffin, number 9 in the cadet draw, with the score 6-3 2-6 7-6 6-4 in almost three hours, thus being able to enjoy the grass of the All England Tennis Club for the first time in his career.
The first games prove to be quite balanced, Mattia is the first to have some difficulties, finding himself from 0-30 down but re-emerging in the most delicate moment. In the eighth game, with courage and a bit of luck, the blue starts going up 0-40, Goffin cancels three break points but starts to make mistakes by not taking advantage of two 4-4 balls. Bellucci holds on, takes advantage of the moment and manages to break through, then closing the half with an excellent cutting short ball.
Goffin thus tries to raise the engine revs and make his illustrious past as a top 10 count. Mattia initially saves himself with two firsts, but then stumbles on a forehand error and surrenders to a nice slice from his opponent. The blue even risks suffering a double break to save himself from a complicated situation, then the Belgian returns to give away, also pushed by the defense of our player, who however does not take advantage of four chances, on the second he could have done more. Goffin is then seraphic in breaking again with a nice volley game and it is third set.
Another possible turning point comes in the fourth game, with Bellucci managing to get by thanks also to two gratuitous errors from his opponent. And from there a partial starts in his favor of eight points to one which will allow him to take the break. But in the eighth game Mattia’s forehand doesn’t work: three errors and the counterbreak arrives. We reach the tiebreak, and the blue is the most aggressive: two minibreaks won with a sensational demivolée and the short ball which allow the blue to take the third set.
And emotionally there also comes a small, big turning point. Bellucci knows he can accelerate and in the second game he earns two break points with the winning response is a Sinner-style dive: the second is exploited with the passer. The match seems to be in the hands of Mattia, who however is surprised by Goffin, who has seven lives like cats: two exchanges dominated and he gets back into the match in the fourth half. But Bellucci is very good at putting everything behind him: a level cushion for the first point, two errors from the Belgian then earn the match point. Which is immediately realized in the net, with the blue almost crying at the thought of having managed to qualify for Wimbledon.
15 aces in favor of the blue, who made the most of his most proactive game, made up of 48 winners and 47 unforced errors against Goffin’s 39-36. How much does the 49% of points won over the second opponents (22/45) help us to be able to rejoice and smile, finding ourselves at Wimbledon for the first time in our career?
