Matteo Berrettini cruised past Alexander Schevchenko 6-2 6-1 after 1 hour and 15 minutes in their first head-to-head match in just 74 minutes to achieve his first ATP Tour win of the 2024 season and his first tour-level win since the 2023 US Open.
Berrettini is playing his fourth clay tournament since Roland Garros 2021. The 27-year-old Italian player lost the final to Nuno Borges at the ATP Challenger tournament in Phoenix and was beaten by Andy Murray in the first round in Miami. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist is making his come-back from an ankle injury this year.
Berrettini earned his first break in the first game to take a 1-0 lead. Schevchenko saved two double break points in the third game. Berrettini broke for the second time in the fifth game to open up a 4-1 lead and closed out the first set 6-2 after 46 minutes after saving two break-back points in the eighth game.
Schevchenko won four consecutive points from 0-30 down to hold his first service game, but Berrettini broke serve in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Berrettini earned two more breaks to seal the second set 6-1. Berrettini won 84% of his first serve points.
“It’s great to be back. I am just really happy. I said it many times, but seven months without playing is a long time. I missed it, and that’s why I have so much energy right now. I am just enjoying playing”, said Berrettini.
Berrettini set up a second round match against Spain’s Jaume Munar.
World number 63 Flavio Cobolli beat Abdullah Shelbayh 6-1 6-4 after 1 hour and 12 minutes. Cobolli set up a second round match against Pavel Kotov in a re-match of the second round clash of the 2024 Australian Open.
Shelbayh saved a break point in the first game, but Cobolli converted his second break point in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. The Italian player earned his second break in the sixth game and served out the second set 6-1 with a hold at love.
Cobolli won 20 points to 3 in the final four games and did not drop a single point on his first serve.
Cobolli held serve from 0-30 in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Cobolli broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead and held serve at 15 to take a 4-2 lead. Shelbayh saved three break points in the seventh game. Cobolli served out the second set 6-4 with a hold at love after 1 hour and 12 minutes.
Alexandar Vukic beat Alexander Muller 6-3 7-6 (7-5) to set up a second round match against second seed Sebastian Ofner.
India’s Sumit Nagal came back from one set down to beat Corentin Moutet 4-6 6-3 6-2. Nagal will face Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.
