World number 10 player Matteo Berrettini edged past two-time Grand Slam finalist and former world number 5 Kevin Anderson 7-6 (11-9) 7-5 6-3 after 2 hours and 23 minutes to advance to the second round at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.
Berrettini saved seven of eight set points on serve in the opening set.
Berrettini set up a second round match against Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac, who won 80 % of his first service points before Spain’s Mario Vilella Martinez withdrew from the match in the first set at 6-7 (5-7) 6-0 3-0.
Berrettini earned the first break point in the third game of the opening set, but he did not convert it. The first set went on serve until the 10th game. The Italian player won 16 consecutive points, but he dropped the next three points, when Anderson was leading 5-4. Berrettini saved three consecutive set points with three winners at 4-5 0-40 and held serve to draw level to 5-5.
Berrettini did not convert three break points which would have enabled him to serve for the set at 6-5. Anderson went up 6-3 in the tie-break earning three more set points. Berrettini fended off two more set points at 6-7 and 8-9. Anderson fended off a set point at 8-9 before Berrettini clinched a hard-fought tie-break 11-9 with a forehand volley on the 20th point of the tie-break after 61 minutes.
The second set went on serve until the 12th game, when Berrettini earned three set points on Anderson’s serve at 6-5 after Anderson made three forehand unforced errors. Berrettini converted his first set point with his crosscourt forehand passing shot.
Anderson rallied from 0-30 at 3-4 in the third set and held a game point. Both players held on their serve until the eight game, when Berrettini converted his third break point with a forehand that Anderson volleyed into the net. The 2019 US Open semifinalist closed out the third set with a forehand to secure his spot in the second round.
Berrettini hit 45 winners including 14 aces.
“I don’t think I saw Kevin’s serve a lot. It was tough, I knew he was a great server coming into the match, but I served well too. I was fortunate on my second set point in the first set, when Kevin was ready for a low volley and the ball popped up higher. I apologised, because that’s what my mother taught me to do”, said Berrettini in the on-court interview.
Karen Khachanov saw off Australia’s Alexandar Vukic 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 after 3 hours and 6 minutes setting up a second round match against Ricardas Berankis, who beat Indian wild card Sumit Nagal 6-2 7-5 6-3 reaching the second round for the fifth time.
“First round matches, playing an Australian guy are never easy. I had never heard of him. But you heard from other guys that he had a big serve, big forehand and went for the shots. It’s never easy to play guys like this, especially when they feel like they have nothing to lose. So I would say it was a difficult match. I am happy that I could get through and I have really enjoyed playing tennis since the beginning of the year. I am happy to compete again and I feel fresh. I feel physically ready”, said Khachanov.
