By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, November 1, 2019
Matteo Berrettini beat Dominic Thiem 7-6 (3), 6-3 to make history as the first Italian to win an ATP Finals match, while Thiem advanced to the semifinals.
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty
It takes a village to raise a child.
It took one clever mom to teach the forehand her child uses to raze defenses.
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Matteo Berrettini ripped his heavy forehand and some timely drives down the line toppling Dominic Thiem 7-6 (3), 6-3 at London's O2 Arena to make history as the first Italian to win an ATP Finals match.
The US Open semifinalist turned his triumph into a mother's day celebration.
Thiem, who knocked off Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in succession, had already secured his spot in Saturday's semifinals as the winner of Group Bjorn Borg.
The fifth-ranked Thiem made history of his own as the first Austrian to qualify for the final four of the ATP Finals and took the court today trying to avoid injury and fatigue.
"I think of course I felt a little bit the two first matches, and then also it's a bit of a tricky situation to know that I'm already through," Thiem said. "So all the attention, the adrenaline is set down a little bit.
"Of course I was still trying to win that match 100 percent, but also, in the same time, I knew in my head that I have to take care for Saturday, because obviously it's the way more important match there."
While Thiem took the court knowing his semifinal spot was safe, Berrettini was playing for 200 ranking points and $215,000 in prize money for a win in his final round-robin match.
The last man to qualify for London permitted just six points on first serve becoming the first Italian to win a match at the season-ending event.
"I'm really proud of myself more for my team, my family, my friends," Berrettini told Annabel Croft afterward. "It's been an unbelievable season. I didn't expect at the beginning of the season to be here.
"I don't know what to say. I hope to come back next year. Grazie the crowd. Yeah, happy to finish with the win."
In a battle of two of the biggest forehands in the game, Berrettini blasted some in excess of 85 mph. Later, he cited the family source who powered his electric forehand.
Asked who taught him his trademark topspin blast, Berrettini replied "my mom."
"My mom for sure," Berrettini said. "Not my dad. He was playing just slice and going to net. That's why I'm playing bad on net because he taught me."
Thiem, who was taught to play by his tennis-coach parents, came out firing after his impressive back-to-back wins over iconic champions.
Stamping love holds in three of his first four service games, Thiem paid the price for some poor decisions in the ninth game to fall into a triple break-point trap.
Moving forward for a high forehand volley, the Indian Wells champion pushed his volley. Berrettini spun a forehand pass inside the baseline earning the first break for 5-4.
Serving for the set, Berrettini was in position for a forehand volley but bungled it into the net giving the break right back in the 10th game.
The eighth seed turned it on in the tie break. Berrettini opened the breaker with a mini break, guided a soft slice backhand down the line for 3-0 and banged a rib-rattling body serve for 5-1.
On his third set point, Berrettini blasted an ace to close the 46-minute opener with a clenched fist.
In his breakthrough season, Berrettini has shown the racquet skills to mix finesse with his forehand firepower. He did exacly that with a slick backhand flick followed by a crackling forehand to break for a 4-2 second-set lead.
Berrettini burst through 16 of his last 18 points on serve closing a one hour, 16-minute triumph with a forehand drop shot snapping Thiem's four-match winning streak vs. Top 10 opponents.
"Against him I had also great fights," Thiem said. "I was able to stay mentally focused especially in the first set because I lose my serve. I didn't play a great game at 5-4, but I played a great tie breaker. I'm happy with the performance."