By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday September 2, 2022
Matteo Berrettini powered into the second week by ending Andy Murray's hopes on Day 5.
Photo Source: Getty
Flushing Meadows, NY—Matteo Berrettini left Wimbledon heartbroken. As one or the pre-tournament favorites in London, the Italian contracted Covid and had to pull out of the draw.
“It was tough. Then I thought, Next Wimbledon is going to be in a year. It's a long time,” he said earlier this week in New York, adding: :But it is what it is. You have to get stronger, get back on track. It wasn't easy. Took me three weeks to feel better. Was struggling with my muscles, physically to get back in shape. But here I am now healthy again, excited to be here.”
And, as is typically the case at the Slams, Berrettini can now be excited to be into the second week. The Italian plowed past 2012 champion Andy Murray on Friday at the Open, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-3 to book a fourth-round clash with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Berrettini has now reached the second week at his last six majors, and against Davidovich Fokina, a wildly talented Spaniard that makes a habit of risking life and limb when he plays, he will bid to reach his fifth consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal.
The 2019 US Open semifinalist needed three hours and 47 minutes to get past Murray. He hit 18 aces and 55 winners against the 35-year-old.
He also broke serve five times and earned 15 break point opportunities against Murray.
“I served pretty poorly for a large part of the match, which hurt me a lot,” Murray said. “I hung in really well in the third set, and, you know, could see from the stats and stuff that were coming up that when I was getting into rallies I was getting comfortably the better of those exchanges when, you know, I got past the first few shots.
“He served extremely well, got loads of free points on his serve. I didn't. That was the difference.”
Murray did win 18 of 31 points that lasted nine strokes or longer, but Berrettini won 61.8 percent of the short rallies (four strokes or less) to keep his nose in front of the Scot.
Berrettini improves to 3-1 over Murray and 15-4 lifetime at the US Open, with his victory. Though he hasn’t been named as one of the top favorites to compete with Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev for the title, a few more wins and he’ll be impossible to ignore.