Matteo Berrettini has extended his run of consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals appearances to five after overcoming an almighty scare against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the US Open.
The world No.14 was at one stage trailing the match by a set and a break before fighting his way back in five sets to prevail 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. In doing so Berrettini has recorded his 16th main draw win at Flushing Meadows and his 43rd in a Grand Slam overall. Against Fokina, he hit a total of 49 winners against 47 unforced errors and broke six times.
In what was a marathon encounter that lasted almost four hours on a humid day in New York, the thriller ended in unfortunate circumstances with Fokina sustaining a knee injury which required two medical time-outs during the closing stages of the match.
“I’m really proud (of my win) because I didn’t start the match the way I wanted to,” Berrettini said during his on-court interview.
“I was down a set and a break but I fought through. My box was cheering me up and I found the right energy.’
“I was a little bit tired in the fourth and he (Fokina) was playing unbelievable tennis. Obviously, this is not the way I wanted to finish the match but I am gonna take the win.”
Opening up proceedings on the Louis Armstrong Stadium on Sunday, Berrettini’s showdown was a rollercoaster with plenty of twists and turns. From the onset, Fokina was the sharpest of the two on the court as he produced an array of spectacular winners. Drawing inspiration from his previous meeting against Berrettini at the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters which he won in straight sets. In less than an hour, he was leading 6-3, 3-2.
It was the break during the second set which triggered a resurgence from Berrettini who battled back to draw level before taking proceedings into a tiebreaker where the momentum took another shift. A six-point winning streak in his favour enabled the Italian to revive his hopes of victory.
On paper, it looked as if the 26-year-old would charge to victory considering the greater experience he had, as well as his run of winning 18 straight points behind his serve between the third and fourth frame. However, a gutsy Fokina refused to go down without a fight. Feeding off the cheers from the crowd and utilizing his speed to his advantage, he broke for a 3-1 advantage in the fourth set. Enough of a margin for the world No.39 to take the match into a decider.
Berrettini had never lost a match in his career when leading by two-sets-to-one (23-0). However, Fokina is somebody who thrives when playing long matches and last year added marathon legend Martin Fiz to his team.
With a place in the last eight of a major on the lines, nerves were evident from both players throughout the decider. Three consecutive breaks of serve occurred before Berrettini held to position himself in a commanding 4-1 lead. Then disaster struck for Fokina when after reaching for a shot he appeared to have hyperextended his left knee. Clearly in pain, he received a medical timeout before continuing.
A game away from victory, Berrettini sealed victory on his third match point after hitting a lob over his injury-stricken rival. He has now won seven out of his past eight matches which have gone to five sets.
Playing in front of his parents, Berrettini has dedicated his latest win to another family member – his brother Jacopo who has been ranked in the world’s top 400 but last played in July.
“My brother is back at home, I know he’s watching so this one is for him. He’s having a tough year but he’s going to come back soon.” He said.
It is the third time Berrettini has reached the quarter-final stage at the US Open in his career.
