The champion wins against the German (who gets injured). Now seventh in the world ranking: in front of him, in history, there is only Adriano Panatta who came in fourth place
Full speed ahead. For the second time in his career, Matteo Berrettini in the quarter-finals of the US Open. The Roman beat in four sets (6-4 3-6 6-3 6-2) the German Oscar Otte, number 144 in the world ranking and coming from the qualifiers, but who in this tournament had already eliminated two Italians, Lorenzo Sonego and Andreas Seppi. A victory that allows a Berrettini to gain a position in the ranking: however it will go, from Monday he will be number 7, bypassing Dominic Thiem (who was defending champion but who missed this edition) and becoming together with Corrado Barazzutti (1978) the second highest ranked player in the history of Italian tennis (he was Open). In front, only Adriano Panatta climbing up to number 4. Now, on Berrettini’s path, there could still be Novak Djokovic, if the Serbian do his duty in the eighth final against the American Brooksby. It would be the third Slam in a row after Roland Garros and Wimbledon with Berrettini in the presence of the world number one and on the hunt for the Grand Slam. Fourth in Paris, final in London, likely another fourth in New York.
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Against Otte, with whom he took his first career Slam success in Paris three years ago, Berrettini got off to a good start; the German was a tough nut to crack, as well as generous in throwing every ball at the cost – as in the second game of the first set – of falling on the other side of the net. The seventh game was the good one for the break. In the second set, the decline of the Italian coincided with the best moment of Otte, who took the serve in the second game with a great forehand, taking the break ahead until the end of the set. Olympic calm and a top 30 experienced attitude, that of Otte, who in the opening of the third set also had the break ball to start strong, canceled by Berrettini with a great backhand passer along the line. The break, in the end, was made by Matteo in the fourth game, closing 6-3 with an ace.
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It would have been a real match (and complicated, for the Italian) also in the fourth set: Otte, however, in making a smash fell backwards violently slamming his right hand to the ground. He asked for the intervention of the physiotherapist, then the medical timeout of three minutes, but it was not the same as before. The pain in his hand and wrist was too strong, so much so as to prevent him from giving power to the service: the German, however, remained on the pitch for the honor of signing, to enjoy the New York public (and, at the end of the match, the ovation requested by Berrettini) but, at the moment of the first break, he threw his racket to the ground as a sign of disappointment. It was no longer played: Berrettini closed the practice in a few minutes and went to the next step with his head. From the new number 7 of the world.
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September 7, 2021 (change September 7, 2021 | 01:17)
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