Matteo Berrettini in the photo
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After the success of Fabio Fognini his Benoit Pair in the match that opened the program on the “John Cain Arena“, Also came the victory of Matteo Berrettini (n.10 ATP) su Gael Monfils (n.11 ATP) with a score of 6-4 6-2 in an hour and 33 minutes of play: twenty-four hours after the beautiful statement on Dominic Thiem, the Roman repeats a great performance giving theItaly the point of 2-0 against France but above all the certainty of landing in the semifinal at theATP Cup 2021 (the double that will be played in a few minutes will be irrelevant).
The blue selection, led by Vincenzo Santopadre, closes on Group C in first place thanks to the two victories centered in the round robin and the penultimate act of the event will see who will win in the group formed by Spain (Nadal, Bautista Agut, Carreno Busta, Marcel Granollers), Greece (Stefanos Tsitsipas, Michail Pervolarakis) e Australia (Alex De Minaur, John Millman, John Peers, Luke Saville): the tie will be played Friday 5th February starting at 07.30 Italian time.
PRIMO SET – Slow and cumbersome start, with a few too many mistakes, for Matteo Berrettini: the talented Roman is not even assisted by the serve in the early stages of the match, being forced to give up the bar to thirty in the fourth game also due to a very Monfils inspired in response. The transalpine moves forward three games (4-1) before undergoing the bursting return of Berrettini: the ’96 class makes the most of Monfils’ first empty pass by operating the counterbreak to fifteen in the seventh game, also helped by the considerable increase of “not forced” by the experienced Parisian player. Monfils, called to an immediate reaction after having wasted the clear advantage, returns to become dangerous in response and it is in the eighth game that he creates the greatest problems for Berrettini: the blue, dragged into this second part of the set by an excellent service , first recovers from 15-40 and then cancels a break point to the advantages, completing the comeback at 4-4. Monfils seems to lose confidence in his own means in the crucial phases of the set: his forehand errors continue (far superior to those of the backhand) and for Berrettini, life becomes gradually easier, the Frenchman does not frame the field with a comfortable straight with the feet on the line of the service and “delivery” to the Italian. After four consecutive games, there is also the fifth seal for Berrettini who closes 6-4 after being four to one behind.
SECOND SET – The initial balance is broken in the third game: after having canceled two break points, Monfils offers a third to Berrettini with a bloody double fault. The Roman, crowning a very long and beautiful exchange that lasted 18 strokes, finds an extraordinary winner who gives him the 2-1 break: Monfils, who begins to suffer from some problems in his right shoulder (he will then require a medical timeout), loses the service also in the next round allowing Berrettini to extend at 4-1. Upon returning from the break for the medical treatment of his opponent, Berrettini even returns to zero one of the two breaks of advantage but Monfils is not at all lucid in exploiting the opportunity to reopen the dispute: the Frenchman, in fact, immediately returns the “favor ”To the Italian that leads to 5-2. Called to close the match with the service available, Berrettini struggles more than expected: after a river game, in which he had to cancel four break points in Monfils, the blue finally manages to close. And the party can begin because Italy is in the semifinals.
ITALY 2-0 FRANCE
Fabio Fognini (ITA) b. Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-1 7-6 (2)
Matteo Berrettini (ITA) b. Gael Monfils (FRA) 6-4 6-2
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