By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, July 9, 2021
Matteo Berrettini celebrated a champion's birthday creating tennis history.
A bold Berrettini bolted through 11 straight games dismantling Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 6-0, 6-7(3), 6-4 to burst into history as the first Italian—male or female—to reach the Wimbledon singles final.
More: Berrettini is First Italian to Reach Wimbledon Final
The 25-year-old Berrettini is the third Italian man in history to reach a Grand Slam final—and the first since Adriano Panatta, who reached the final and went on to win the title at 1976 Roland Garros.
Today is Panatta's 71st birthday and Berrettini celebrated with a historic win—and heart-felt credit to tennis mentor Panatta, whose belief in his fellow Rome resident bolstered Berrettini's confidence during his junior days.
Initially, Berrettini was a bit skeptical of Panatta's praise—until he looked up the legendary champion's results, realized Panatta's championship credentials and aims to apply his advice to his maiden major final.
"He was one of the first big names for us, probably the biggest one, that believed in me when I was a kid," Berrettini said of Panatta. I remember we played together a doubles in the club where I used to practice. It was such a nice experience. He told me, Look, I think you're going to serve 220 kilometers per hour.
"I look at him, I don't know if I trust you. Then I saw the history of his results. Obviously I said, Okay, maybe this guy is right. Then he was right. I mean, yeah, I'm in contact with him all the time. Just a great adviser also. To take the step what he texted me, he told me, Now that you're here, go for it. That's what I'm trying to do."
Italian fans will feast on the delirium from a Super Sunday that will see the seventh-seeded Berrettini play world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final in the afternoon followed by Italy vs. England in the Euro soccer final at Wembley on Sunday night.
Berrettini's advice for fans back home? Tune in to a historic Sunday of sport.
"I will tell them to buy a nice TV if they don't have already because I think it's going to be a special Sunday for all of us," Berrettini said. "It's something crazy to believe for us, obviously let's say tennis, because it never happen.
"So it's something that nobody expected—me in first place. Then for football, because I mean, we didn't qualify for the World Cup, so after that the job that they did, how hard they worked, the effort that they put, I think they really deserve this finals."
Photo credit: Matteo Berrettini Instagram