Sixth seed Matteo Berrettini faced a difficult test in the third round of the US Open today. Although he faced World No. 53 Ilya Ivashka, he needed five sets to eliminate the Belarusian and advance to the fourth round.
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In a hard-fought battle that went down to the wire, the scoreline read 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. Following the victory, Berrettini believes he belongs in the category of players like Daniil Medvedev, who feature in the Top 5 currently.
Matteo Berrettini thinks he’s just as good as players in the Top 5
Berrettini lost the first set of the match in an intense tie-breaker. However, the Italian stormed back in the second set, dominating his Belarusian opponent to win the set 6-2. He then continued his momentum by sealing the third set 6-4, needing just one set to seal victory.
However, Ivashka fought back in the fourth set against the Wimbledon finalist. By clinching the set 6-2, the Belarusian forced a fifth set to decide the high-intensity battle for a spot in the fourth round. In the fifth set, Berrettini raced to a 3-0 lead, and there was no looking back. With a strong service game, the Italian clinched the set 6-3, and the match in 3 hours and 46 minutes.
USA Today via Reuters
Sep 4, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Matteo Berrettini of Italy hits a forehand against Ilya Ivashka of Belarus (not pictured) on day six of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
During the post-match press conference, Berrettini admitted he’s just as good as players who rank among the Top 5 in the world. In addition, he believes those players know it as well.
Berrettini: “I feel I belong in the Zverev, Medvedev, Thiem and Tsitsipas group. And I think they know it.”
#Berrettini: "Mi sento al livello di Zverev, Medvedev, Thiem e Tsitsipas. Sia per classifica, sia quando giochiamo contro e penso lo sappiano. Purtroppo io sono stato fermo due volte quest'anno, ma ogni volta ho dimostrato di giocarmela alla pari". #USOpen
He said, “I feel I belong in the Zverev, Medvedev, Thiem and Tsitsipas group. And I think they know it.”
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Berrettini to face Oscar Otte in the fourth round of the US Open
With his hard-earned victory, the sixth seed will take on German qualifier Oscar Otte in the fourth round.
USA Today via Reuters
Sep 2, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Matteo Berrettini of Italy hits to Corentin Moutet of France on day four of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
Should Berrettini win his match against Otte, he could face Djokovic in the quarterfinals. This would be a rematch from the Wimbledon final earlier this year, which Djokovic won.
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