Davis Cup, Matteo Berrettini leads Italy ahead of Brazil

Davis Cup, Matteo Berrettini takes Italy ahead with Brazil

In the first singles match between Italy and Brazil at the Unipol Arena in Casalecchio di Reno, Matteo Berrettini, world number 43, beat 18-year-old Joao Fonseca, number 158, nicknamed the “little Sinner” with a score of 6-1 7-6.

It was all easy in the first set for the 28-year-old Roman who needed only a few well-placed serves and forehands to clearly win the partial by breaking in the second and sixth games.

Much more balanced the second set: Berrettini has two beak points at 1-1 but does not exploit them, however the break that seems decisive for Matteo arrives at 5-5 on the second chance but the Italian gets counter-break immediately after.

It then goes to the tie-break in which Fonseca flies to 4-0 but Berrettini recovers at 4-4, gets a match point at 6-5 and the very young Brazilian commits just now his first double fault, the matc then closes after one’hour and 22 minutes.

These are the words of Berrettini at the end of the match to Rai microphones: “I missed this atmosphere and the warmth of the audience. We told each other before the match that we had to have fun and take the warmth of the people and I managed to do that. I kept fighting even at 0-4 in the tie-break. Fonseca? At his age; I was playing junior tournaments, è a great talent and he will grow; but I am happy for me”.