United Cup, Matteo Berrettini does not break the taboo Stefanos Tsitsipas

4-6 7-6 6-4 the score in favor of the Hellenic, still undefeated against the Blue

After three wins in the first three United Cup matches – including two against Top 10s such as Ruud and Hurkacz – Matteo Berrettini falls at the hands of Stefanos Tsitsipas, failing the first match-point in favor of Italy against Greece, which thus shortens the distance by potting to 1-2.

The match, played on Sydney’s concrete, is beautiful, spectacular and tight. In the first partial Berrettini risked something on his service turns, but in the seventh game he was surgical in placing the break that was then decisive to forfeit the set. In the second partial each one maintains his own service turns, although the Italian can recriminate for some potential opportunities to get to the break ball. Tsitsipas plays a perfect tie-break, and so it goes to the third.

Here, again in the seventh game, Berrettini has a great chance to break serve from the Greek, but the latter is good at forcing the Italian into an error. In the next game, it is Tsitsipas himself who snatches service from the Azzurro, then maintaining the lead until the final 6-4 that closes the match. Tsitsipas thus still manages to get the better of the Azzurro player, defeated for the third time in as many official engagements in the ATP circuit.