Matteo Berrettini hit a great backhand service return for a clean winner in the fourth set Friday against Hubert Hurkacz. That one was worth remembering because it’s hard to recall any other really meaningful backhands that Berrettini hit in the Wimbledon semifinals.
Surely, it wasn’t by design for Hurkacz to keep the ball away from Berrettini’s backhand. It just happened over and over that the tall Pole played to Berrettini’s strength, his mighty forehand.
NOVAK WILL SEARCH FOR MATTEO’S BACKHAND
You can bet that Novak Djokovic won’t attempt to break down the Berrettini forehand in Sunday’s Wimbledon final. Novak almost certainly will search for the Italian’s backhand.
If he doesn’t, Djokovic might not pick up his 20th Grand Slam title after all.
Of all of the shots the two players in the Wimbledon final possess, the one that is most dangerous is Berrettini’s forehand. That is, unless you count Novak’s drop shot.
The odds are that Djokovic will play by the book and attack Berrettini’s backhand repeatedly. That includes serves out wide and down the middle, whatever it takes to find Berrettini’s backhand.
BERRETTINI CAN ‘SPIN ON A DIME’
Of course, it might not be easy for Novak to consistency find Berrettini’s backhand. Berrettini has the unique ability to practically “spin on a dime” to the forehand side. There was one time in his four-set win over Hurkacz that Berrettini retreated hurriedly to the baseline to run down a perfect Hurkacz lob, and then suddenly whirl into his forehand side to deliver an outright winner.
It looked like something Djokovic or Rafa Nadal might be able to pull off.
But not Berrettini. I guess I haven’t watched the muscular 6-5, 209-pound Italian enough to appreciate his athletic ability.
Matteo’s girlfriend Ajla (WTA Tour standout Ajla Tomljanovic) obviously cheered that move from his box.
ANOTHER BUDDING FIRST-NAME SUPERSTAR
You see, there we are now with another budding superstar with a unique first name that everyone will identify him with if he upends Djokovic’s bid to deadlock Nadal and Roger Federer in Grand Slam titles. Yes, if it happens, Matteo suddenly will be the giant killer that is always standing in Novak’s way in future Grand Slam championships.
Yes, a lot is at stake for Djokovic in Sunday’s final.
This could be the match that turns men’s tennis in a different direction for the Grand Slams. It would almost be like when Novak fully arrived as a Grand Slam favorite that could play havoc with Federer and Nadal fans’ claims that their idols are the sport’s greatest players.
Forget this all-time stuff. There was no real tennis back in the Stone Ages.
Just be happy with the “greatest” label for now. Even if Djokovic does win and eventually takes over center stage of men’s tennis all to himself, someone will follow in his footsteps as the greatest player. Anyone remember the great Rod Laver?
HURKACZ BETTER THAN HIS RESULT
Back to the semifinals, it’s too bad that Hurkacz hit that 11-game stretch in the first two sets where he couldn’t win even one game. He’s better than his 6-3, 6-0, 7-6 (3) loss to Berrettini made him look.
He has to better when you consider that Hurkacz defeated the world’s No. 2 player, Daniil Medvedev, and Federer in back-to-back matches. Few players outside of Djokovic can do that.
You probably can count on Hurkacz to win at least one Grand Slam title in the next few years.
But Berrettini did put on quite a show of strength with his 22 aces and almost endless demonstration of big forehands along with his exceptional court coverage.
DON’T FORGET SHAPOVALOV
No, don’t count classy Canadian Denis Shapovalov out of future success in Grand Slam events. He did everything but beat Djokovic.
Shapovalov served for the first set, but his serve and classic backhands lost their way that one game in the first set. Then, he double-faulted at set point in the first-set tiebreaker.
All three sets went to 5-5 in Djokovic’s 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5 win over Shapovalov.
It was the 11th games of the second and third sets that really took their toll on Shapovalov as he double-faulted each of those games away to keep Djokovic’s dream going into his 30th Grand Slam final.
See James Beck’s Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier columns at postandcourier.com (search on James Beck column). James Beck can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com
