US Open, Matteo Berrettini still can’t explain it

“I didn’t feel my game, my mentality.”

Sincerity is a gift that Matteo Berrettini is certainly not lacking. Eliminated from the US Open at the hands of Casper Ruud, who made the match his in just three sets, the Roman tennis player commented on the defeat without seeking excuses or justifications of any kind. Let alone bringing up bad luck or who knows what else.

“He had the best possible start, and I helped him,” the Roman tennis player commented, “Casper played really well, and I played really bad. It was probably my worst day in the tournament at the most important moment. I fought, but it was not enough. I didn’t feel my game, my mentality, he seemed to be fine. He played a great game, I even told him that. I don’t think there is much to add.”

“A player like him when he goes ahead by a break gets more and more confident and starts hitting harder and harder. I was able to put more energy into what I was doing from the end of the second set, even though I didn’t have a good feeling. I fought, his level dropped a little bit. I tried to find the right balance between the energy level I had and my game. Even though I was up 5-2 in the third partial, I didn’t feel confident, and it showed in the following games. On a day like that, you can only keep fighting, and that’s what I did. But it was not enough,” he concluded.