After a long three months off the courts, Matteo Berrettini returned to action with a win at the 2022 Stuttgart Open.
Despite recent injuries setting him back a few months of competition, Italian power house Matteo Berrettini has timed his return perfectly.
With a game well-suited to the grass courts, he has been able to hit the ground running recently, with another win at Stuttgart. This time, it was a hard-fought battle against Radu Albot, with the Italian seeing him off 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
This places the Italian into the quarter-final of the competition, where he will face either Jan-Lennard Struff or fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego. Before he had time to think about his next opponent, he was reflecting on the win and on his return to the courts.
"I feel good, physically especially. I didn’t take it for granted that I was stepping out and feeling good, especially after a surgery. I’ve never had one [before]. I’m really happy, I played three sets, so I’m feeling good."
“Obviously it wasn’t easy, especially mentally. When you’re not playing a lot, you lose the rhythm a little bit. That’s why I struggled a little bit in the second set, but in the first games in the third I fought hard. I felt like I had to be there, I had to fight, and I’m happy to be through.”
“The grass is always one of my favourite parts of the season, so I’m [happy] to be here enjoying the grass and I’m pretty sure my level is going to get better and better. Today was the first important step.”
Wimbledon finalist in 2021, Berrettini will be hoping he can maintain this form going into the year's third Grand Slam. There is no other place like it for the Italian, with Europe's grass courts often providing the perfect breeding ground for results.