Matteo Berrettini returned to the winners' circle at the 2024 Marrakech Open after a fantastic title run at the ATP 250 event.
The Italian travelled to Marrakech hoping to get a few matches on clay before the Monte-Carlo Masters. He got far more than he bargained for because he won the trophy after a pretty sensational run.
He returned to the tennis courts only recently and didn't win once on the ATP Tour before this week. His only match on the ATP Tour was in Miami, where Andy Murray bested him.
He did play at the ATP Challenger in Phoenix, where he made the final but ultimately failed to win the final match. After scoring his first win back on the ATP Tour this week, Berrettini added another one, and then another one, and one more in the final.
This was a final, and as he won the match, he will leave Morocco with a trophy. The Italian faced noted clay specialist Roberto Carballes Baena in the final, and it was a bit of a slow start for him.
The Spaniard was up a break early, but rather quickly, Berrettini was able to get it back. He kept playing well and applying pressure until he finally broke again, and this time around, it was enough to win the set 7-5.
The Italian served pretty well, but what saved him in the set was his better performance in the crucial rallies. He converted both break chances while saving four of the five he faced.
The second set opened with an early break for Berrettini, even though Carballes Baena pushed as well. Ultimately, after taking the break, the Italian player was able to consolidate pretty well, keeping himself out of trouble and finishing off the match.
The final score was 7-5, 6-2 for Berrettini, who finally won a trophy again, his first since the 2022 season, and it's a much-needed one. It will give him confidence moving forward, and that's going to be great for tennis.
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