By Victor Kanayo
World number 14 and Italian tennis star Matteo Berrettini late Friday night regained squandered chances in the third set to still beat Britain’s Andy Murray 6-4 6-4 6-7(1) 6-3 in the ongoing US Open.
He has now reached the fourth round of the US Open.
Playing in the third round in New York for the first time in six years, Murray appeared utterly outmatched as Berrettini rocketed across nine aces and 19 winners in the first set and extinguished the Briton’s sole break point opportunity.
The situation went from bad to worse for the 2012 champion in the second set, when a dejected Murray tossed his racket towards his bench after handing 13th seed Berrettini the break with a double fault in the ninth game.
But the tables turned as the 26-year-old Italian was unable to convert any of eight break point chances in the third set and handed his 35-year-old opponent the momentum in the tiebreak with a handful of unforced errors.
Berrettini, who beat Murray in the Stuttgart final earlier this year, said he tried to play more “brave” in the final set, getting the critical break in the eighth game after forcing the twice Wimbledon winner into a backhand error.
He faces Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina, who beat him in Monte Carlo last year, in the next round.
On why he lost Murray told Reuters, “I’ve got a metal hip. It’s not easy playing with that. It’s really difficult. I’m surprised I’m still able to compete with guys that are right up at the top of the game,” he told reporters.
“Matches like this, you know, I’m really proud that I have worked myself into a position where I’m able to do that … it’s been a difficult six years for me. It’s been really hard.”
Murray produced impressive wins over Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and Australian Nick Kyrgios in June’s Stuttgart tournament but suffered an abdominal injury when he lost in the final to Berrettini.
The performance put him back in the top 50 for the first time in roughly four years – though he was ranked 51st in the world before participating in the Flushing Meadows – an improvement he said helped motivate him.
