Matteo Berrettini is not having it easy on Rod Laver Arena in his third-round Australian Open contest against Carlos Alcaraz. Even though the Italian clinched the first two sets, Alcaraz’s consistent level in three and fourth sets took Berrettini by surprise as the match progressed to a decider.

Both Alcaraz and Berrettini are heavy baseline hitters who don’t hesitate before going for their shots. The final set of their duel began with a scare for the Italian as he rolled his ankle and slipped on-court. Berrettini, who isn’t new to injuries, seemed like he would have to retire midway yet again, but after the physio checkup, all went well and he was back to play.

Carlos Alcaraz showed sporting spirit by rushing to Matteo Berrettini’s side to check up on him

As the Italian was down struggling, Carlos displayed sportsmanship by rushing to the other side of the court to check up on his opponent. The Spaniard picked Berrettini’s racquet and checked up on him to see if he’s doing fine.

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Right from his sudden rise on the ATP tour last year, Alcaraz has made it to the headlines for all the right reasons and this spirited display against Berrettini will also add to his resume.

Coming to the match, Alcaraz capitalized on his second serve as he won more points than Berrettini in that department. On the other hand, Berrettini struggled to keep up with the Spaniard’s power in the third and fourth sets.

Alcaraz has an upper hand over Berretini in their Australian Open third-round duel

This is the second meeting between the two players. Previously, they faced each other at the Vienna Open last year. Alcaraz managed to put extreme pressure on Berrettini during that encounter and ended up clinching the contest in three nail-biting sets. With both players having heavy serves at their disposal, it all boils down to this; who gets to sustain their serve under the fifth set pressure?

Experience wise, the Italian should have an upper hand over Alcaraz. But, looking at the way the youngster dominated Berrettini, it won’t be a surprise to see him reach the pre-quarters at the Australian Open.

At the moment, Matteo Berrettini is leading the fifth set 2-1 and it promises to be a cracking contest between the two at Rod Laver Arena.

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