Matteo Berrettini seems to have finally found his best tennis after a couple of fairly dark seasons.
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The Italian ace had won three titles in 2024, but all in second-rate tournaments, while he had never made it past the second round in either the Grand Slams or the Masters 1000.
The 2021 Wimbledon Championships finalist played very well at the Doha ATP 500, where he reached the quarterfinals after defeating Serbian legend Novak Djokovic in the first round. Matteo had never defeated Nole on the professional tour and there is no doubt that that victory gave him a lot of confidence, which he needed at this stage of his career.
The former world number 6 could have reached the semifinals in Qatar, but had to surrender in front of an exceptional performance by Jack Draper who really played his best tennis.
Berrettini's performances were also particularly positive at the Dubai ATP 500, where his run came to a halt against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals. The former Italian Top 10 player put the tournament champion in serious difficulty, yielding only in the third set after a very spectacular battle.
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Matteo could have the chance to take revenge on the Greek at Indian Wells, but he will first have to defeat the Australian Christopher O'Connell (already beaten in Dubai).
Volandri speaks about Berrettini
If he continues to play in this way and does not have injuries, Berrettini could be a danger for all the top players on the fastest surfaces and especially on the grass of Wimbledon.
In a long interview with 'SuperTennis', Italian Davis Cup captain Filippo Volandri commented on Matteo's recent performances: "He played very good tennis in Doha and Dubai, where he could have gone even further. He must be happy with the improvements he has made and that he will reap the rewards later in the season.
The work done with Umberto Ferrara from an athletic point of view is clear and his backhand has also improved a lot.
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The most important thing is that he practices well and does not suffer injuries."
