Matteo Berrettini survived an inspired effort from #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima Monday, overcoming the 20-year-old 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-3 to reach the second round at the Australian Open.
The seventh-seeded Italian was in danger of falling behind by two sets to one on Margaret Court Arena, but saved two set points on serve at 4-5, 15/40 in the third set, eventually forcing what proved to be a pivotal tie-break. In the breaker, Berrettini raced to a 5/0 lead before Nakashima closed to 6/5. Back on serve, the American surrendered the set with an untimely error.
Berrettini fought through stomach issues throughout his three-hour, 10-minute win, taking a medical timeout in set two, as well as a bathroom break following set three and again during a changeover early in the fourth.
“I’ve been feeling sick with my stomach, let’s say that,”Berrettini said in his on-court interview. “But that battling hold in the 10th game of set three gave him the belief to power through.
“It was really important. I was feeling the match was changing a little bit there,” he said of the eight-point service game. “I really held there with my mental strength mostly, because my body wasn’t there.”
Down a break at 5-2 in the fourth, Nakashima saved three match points to force the Italian to serve out the match. He got as close as 30/30 in the final game, but a big Berrettini serve closed it out. The unreturned serve on match point was a fitting end to a contest that saw 21 aces off the Italian’s racquet.
Berrettini will face wild card Stefan Kozlov in the second round, after the American beat Jiri Vesely, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
In other action on Monday, 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz was made to work hard as he reached the second round at the Australian Open for the second time.
The 24-year-old fired 16 aces as he edged World No. 106 Egor Gerasimov 6-2, 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-3 in three hours and 15 minutes. The Pole, who is making his fourth appearance in Melbourne, will next face Adrian Mannarino after the 33-year-old battled past Australian James Duckworth 6-4, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 after three hours and 11 minutes.
Hurkacz enjoyed a strong 2021 season, winning three tour-level titles as he qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. The World No. 10 will look to continue his momentum in Melbourne as he targets a maiden major trophy.
The seventh-seeded Italian was in danger of falling behind by two sets to one on Margaret Court Arena, but saved two set points on serve at 4-5, 15/40 in the third set, eventually forcing what proved to be a pivotal tie-break. In the breaker, Berrettini raced to a 5/0 lead before Nakashima closed to 6/5. Back on serve, the American surrendered the set with an untimely error.
Berrettini fought through stomach issues throughout his three-hour, 10-minute win, taking a medical timeout in set two, as well as a bathroom break following set three and again during a changeover early in the fourth.
“I’ve been feeling sick with my stomach, let’s say that,”Berrettini said in his on-court interview. “But that battling hold in the 10th game of set three gave him the belief to power through.
“It was really important. I was feeling the match was changing a little bit there,” he said of the eight-point service game. “I really held there with my mental strength mostly, because my body wasn’t there.”
Down a break at 5-2 in the fourth, Nakashima saved three match points to force the Italian to serve out the match. He got as close as 30/30 in the final game, but a big Berrettini serve closed it out. The unreturned serve on match point was a fitting end to a contest that saw 21 aces off the Italian’s racquet.
Berrettini will face wild card Stefan Kozlov in the second round, after the American beat Jiri Vesely, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
In other action on Monday, 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz was made to work hard as he reached the second round at the Australian Open for the second time.
The 24-year-old fired 16 aces as he edged World No. 106 Egor Gerasimov 6-2, 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-3 in three hours and 15 minutes. The Pole, who is making his fourth appearance in Melbourne, will next face Adrian Mannarino after the 33-year-old battled past Australian James Duckworth 6-4, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 after three hours and 11 minutes.
Hurkacz enjoyed a strong 2021 season, winning three tour-level titles as he qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. The World No. 10 will look to continue his momentum in Melbourne as he targets a maiden major trophy.