2023 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas probably wasn't too happy when he saw Matteo Berrettini as his first-round Australian Open opponent.
The 2024 Australian Open is upon us, but before we get to that; did you know that Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini have a Spanish connection? Berrettini is actually a fluent Spanish speaker, as he spent plenty of time in the country, while Tsitsipas has a Spanish girlfriend.
Speaking of girlfriends, Berrettini used to have an Australian girlfriend, so he has some ties with Australia as well. Both enjoy strong support from the Greek and Italian communities in the country when Down Under, which means that this will be a very passionate affair.
Obviously, Berretini hasn't played this year at all, with his appearance in Melbourne a huge surprise to many. The news coming out from his camp didn't seem promising during the offseason, but he's apparently fit enough to play, which is good because he had some good showings there, most notably in 2021 when he made the fourth round and 2022 when he made the semi-final.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is no stranger to Australia, either. He was the runner-up last year and finished three times in the semi-final. Results-wise, it's his best Grand Slam, but this year is unique.
Head-to-head:
There is some history between the two, as they played four times, and Tsitsipas won every single time. The first match was played at the 2017 US Open qualifiers, with Tsitsipas winning 6-7(6) 7-6(4) 7-6(2). The next one came at the 2019 Australian Open and the score was 6-7(3) 6-4 6-3 7-6(4).
The next match was supposed to be played at the Australian Open in 2021, but it was a walkover for Tsitsipas. It doesn't count in the official statistics, but it's worth mentioning anyway.
A few months later, Tsitsipas bested Berrettini in Rome 7-6(2) 6-2. The final match came at last year's United Cup, with the score being 4-6 7-6(2) 6-4.
Prediction
So, what does all of this tell us? Well, they surely like to play tie-breaks. Dominance in H2H like this happens rarely and usually indicates a matchup problem. The players are pretty similar in profile and fit wonderfully in Melbourne.
Both have a powerful serve, great forehand, and backhand, which isn't one of their strengths. Both are also of questionable health as of late. Tsitsipas struggled with a back injury late last year, and it's still impacting him, but apparently not too much.
Berrettini, who knows really? We haven't seen him in a long time, and first matches back rarely go well. Considering all of that, back Tsitsipas to get it done. He leads the H2H, he loves to play in Australia, and he actually played recently.
Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in four sets.
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