By Alberto Amalfi | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, April 6, 2024
Matteo Berrettini rallied for a 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 win over Mariano Navone setting up a Marrakech final against defending champion Roberto Carballes Baena.
Photo credit:Grand Prix Hassan Facebook
Matteo Berrettini took a big leap on the comeback trail today.
Berrettini rallied for a 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 win over Mariano Navone setting up a Marrakech final against defending champion Roberto Carballes Baena.
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Earlier, Carballes Baena carved up Pavel Kotov 6-4, 6-2 to score his ninth consecutive Marrakech win.
It's the third career final for Carballes Baena, who is the first man to reach the final in a Marrakech title defense since compatriot Pablo Andujar in 2018-19.
Playing just his second Tour-level event of the season, Berrettini broke serve five times to reach his first Tour-level final since the 2022 Naples.
It's the 13th career ATP final for Berrettini, who improved to a perfect 7-0 in ATP clay-court semifinals.
A quality first set escalated into the tiebreaker. That's when Navone lifted his level of play.
A bold Navone blasted successive forehand winners to take the tiebreaker with a bang.
Resetting, Berrettini was driving his forehand with more authority in the second set as he broke for a 2-1 second-set lead. Berrettini backed up the break fro 3-1.
The former Wimbledon finalist converted his fourth set point, breaking again to seize the second set.
Berrettini was falling backward when he flicked a forehand drop shot winner holding to start the decider.
Finding the rhythm and range on his forehand, Berrettini hammered a series of deep forehands rattling out the error to confirm the break for a 2-0 lead in the final set.
The 27-year-old Berrettini never looked back.
On his first match point, Berrettini stopped play to point out a Navone shot landed wide then bellowed a big "come on!" to reach his seventh career clay-court final.