Matteo Berrettini spoke at a press conference after the Rome retreat: “Probably when I woke up yesterday I realized that things were a little bit’complex. Then the’love I have for this tournament, this city, for my brother, for the sport I play, finally pushed me to try. – he explains -. Today until ten minutes before the match I thought I couldn’t make it, then I said, whatever, I’m going to try, come on. I was surprised at how my body reacted up to a certain point. Then I felt another twinge, towards the end of the first set, and from there on I couldn”t stay in the match, stay focused”.
“I had to withdraw one’more time. I didn’t want to retire but then I know what happens if I don’t stop: I have to go three months without playing, every time I sneeze I jump. I didn’t want that thing there to happen again. I hope I stopped in time, it hurts enough but I don’t think I tore up yet. The doctors are probably tired of seeing me” too.
“It is close to a point where I have hurt before, I don’t know what is wrong with my (muscles) obliques. The feelings unfortunately I know them well because I’ve been there over and over again. Honestly, a week ago I didn’t think I would play the tournament, then I did a kind of miracle: to have played one game and won it. I ended up playing two and a half. It was something important even though I obviously didn’t want to end like that. The feelings are, as I said before, that I hope I didn’t do too much damage, because I don’t feel like staying home and not playing.”
