By Alberto Amalfi | Saturday, June 15, 2019
Matteo Berrettini beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 7-5, charging into his first grass-court final in Stuttgart without dropping serve. The Italian No. 2 will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final.
Photo credit: Mercedes Cup
There was a time when Matteo Berrettini felt a bit unstable on grass.
The imposing Italian's grass game is flourishing on Stuttgart's lawn.
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Untouchable on serve, Berrettini beat German home favorite Jan-Lennard Struff, 6-4, 7-5, charging into his first grass-court final.
"I'm really happy because it was a really tough one, a close one," Berrettini said. "He was playing good. He was serving really good and I was able to play well when he had break points. So I'm really happy about this win."
The 30th-ranked Berrettini served 65 percent, won 33 of 37 first-serve points and denied both break points he faced.
Berrettini has held in all 39 service games this week, racking up wins over Nick Kyrgios, second-seeded Karen Khachanov, American Denis Kudla and the tough Struff, who was arrived in Stuttgart fresh off his Grand Slam-best fourth-round run at Roland Garros.
"I'm serving well," Berrettini said. "I'm feeling comfortable here of course and grass helps me a lot. It's kind of new for me because it's my first quarterfinal, semifinal and final on grass. But like I was saying before I was playing in Davis Cup on grass and I was feeling really comfortable on grass. When I arrived here I was feeling good so let's see what happens tomorrow."
It is the third final of the season for the Italian No. 2 who will face Canadian No. 2 Felix Auger-Aliassime in tomorrow's final.
Auger-Aliassime advanced to his third final of the year on a walkover after Canadian No. 1 Milos Raonic withdrew with a lower back injury.
The 2016 Wimbledon finalist said he tried hitting earlier today and was physically unable to compete.
"I'm very sorry and apologetic that I'm unable to compete today," Raonic told the crowd. "I was hoping for the best after my match yesterday. I wanted to come out here to give it a try. After looking through it very diligently with my team and the way I was feeling with my back I found that it's not possible for me to compete without taking any greater risk."
The final pits the 18-year-old Auger-Aliassime, who was runner-up in Rio de Janeiro and Lyon on clay earlier this year, against the 23-year-old Berrettini for the first time.
"Felix is doing unbelievable," Berrettini said. "He's so young and he did semifinal in Miami, final in Lyon. He's playing with confidence so it's gonna be a close one."