Matteo Berrettini struggles, but it’s not enough: Alex De Minaur in Vienna semifinals

Matteo Berrettini is stopped in the quarterfinals at the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna. Fatal for his path turns out to be the challenge with Alex De Minaur, able to prevail in two sets for a total duration of about one’hour and three quarters. Elimination, however, with a very high head for the Roman tennis player who, after a first set in total suffering, in the second set struggles for a long time on an equal footing with the number 7 in the ATP ranking. And the final score showed it: 6-1, 7-6(4).

Berrettini’s day seemed to start with the worst auspices in the first set, with an immediately failed break ball in the opening game that only triggered De Minaur. The Australian in fact responds on his own terms by quickly taking a 4-0 lead, despite the attempts of resistance by the Italian, who in particular in the fourth game cancels his two first break points. Useless the fast game that earned him the 1-5, with a set now compromised and closing in less than half an hour.

All went differently in the second set, but certainly not to De Minaur’s demerits. The Australian tries to set up his offensive as in the previous minutes, but Berrettini nullifies three break points in the first game and, when he loses serve on 1-2, immediately takes the counterbreak in the next game. It seems done after the seventh game, with a new break in favor of the world number 7, but the Roman snatches the new tie at 5-5.

We proceed to the tie-break, and here again Berrettini dreams of another incredible recovery. With De Minaur ahead 5-1, in fact, the Roman cancels two match points and brings the score back to 6-4. However, the third attempt turns out to be the good one for the Australian, who goes on to win a match that, however, carries with it comforting signs about the physical and mental state of his opponent.