The Italian Matteo Berrettini, Wimbledon finalist in 2021 and hampered by injuries for months, won this Tuesday on the clay of Marrakesh his first match on the ATP Tour since losing in the second round of the US Open in August 2023.
Berrettini, who this week occupies the 135th place in the world ranking, defeated the Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko (56th) 6-2 and 6-1 in 1 hour and 14 minutes. Now he will face the Spaniard in the second round Jaume Munar (73rd), beating Frenchman Lucas van Assche.
“Seven months without playing is a long time… I missed it and that’s why I’m so strong,” said the 27-year-old Italian, who returned to the courts in March. He was forced to withdraw in the 2nd round of the last US Open and ended his season with a torn ligament in his right ankle.
He was expected to return at the Australian Open in January but withdrew at the last minute in Melbourne with a right foot injury. He then reached the final of the Phoenix Challenger (hard) in March and lost in the first round of the Miami Masters 1000.
A semi-finalist at the 2019 US Open and 2022 Australian Open, Berrettini also underwent surgery on his right hand in 2022 and withdrew from Roland Garros last year due to an abdominal muscle injury.
1st round results:
Fabio Fognini (ITA) beat Hugo Gaston (FRA) 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-4
Flavio Cobolli (ITA/8) defeated Abdullah Shelbayh (JOR) 6-1, 6-4
Matteo Berrettini (ITA) beat Alexander Shevchenko (KAZ/6) 6-2, 6-1
Sumit Nagal (IND) beat Corentin Moutet (FRA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) beat Alexandre Muller (FRA) 6-3, 7-6 (5)
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
