Vienna Atp, Berrettini beats Popyrin in the 1st round

The Italian number 1, already qualified at the Nitto Finals in Turin (November 14-21) overcomes the Australian 7-6 6-3 and finds Basilashvili. Tomorrow it’s Mager’s turn with Novak

Matteo Berrettini is back on the pitch at the ATP 500 in Vienna after Indian Wells. A convincing debut against another who like him beats hard, the Australian Alexei Popyrin, number 77 in the world beaten 7-6 6-3. Balanced game between the two great hitters, with the first set resolved at the tie break in favor of the Roman who had not used the break opportunity in the 11th game. Second set with the number 6 in the world who sprints ahead in the sixth game with a break for 4-2 and service and keeps the advantage until the end. The next opponent will be Basilashvili who has overtaken Carreno.

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“It was not an easy match – he said immediately after the match -. In the first set I could not respond well. Then in the second set I started to engage and leveled up. I was in Vienna only once two years ago and I got to the semifinals straight away, I like the conditions a lot, so I hope to stop again “. With this victory, Berrettini is sure he will no longer be able to be reached by anyone in the Race for the Nitto Finals: “There are no words to describe the joy I feel. 2020 was a bad year for me on and off the pitch, I have to always remembering where I started from and all the way I traveled. Once I dreamed of it, now it is reality “.

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The other blues

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There are five other Italian tennis players competing in Vienna. Lorenzo Musetti, n.67 Atp, who received a wild card, will be opposed to the French Gael Monfils, n.21 in the ranking, and never faced before. It did not go better as a draw to Fabio Fognini, n.36 in the ranking, who will have to deal immediately with the Argentine Diego Schwartzman, n.16 Atp, fresh from the final in Antwerp lost against Sinner: 1-1 the balance of the previous ones, with the 29-year-old from Buenos Aires who won in three sets in Vienna, in the first round in 2017. Lorenzo Sonego, n.23 in the ranking, finalist twelve months ago, overtook Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, will find on the other side of the net the German lucky loser Koepfer. Gianluca Mager, n.68, today finds Dennis Novak, n.116 of the world rankings, in the race with a wild card: the Ligurian is ahead by 2 to 1 in the head-to-head balance sheet, having won the most recent one, this one. year in the first round of the Kitzbuhel tournament (clay). On Wednesday it will be the turn of Jannik Sinner, fresh from number 11 in the world, to take the first step towards the Nitto Atp Finals against the American Reilly Opelka, n.27 in the world and never met.

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