MONACO — In a thrilling battle at the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday, the second-seeded Alexander Zverev faced a stunning defeat against powerful compatriot Matteo Berrettini, ending with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.
The unseeded Berrettini clinched victory after serving for the match for the second time and capitalizing on his first match point against the top-ranked German.
“I wasn’t connecting my forehand and serve as effectively as before,” admitted Berrettini, who boasts an impressive 17 wins in his last 18 clay matches. “I reminded myself to play with more aggression.”
Last year’s French Open runner-up, Zverev, electrified the crowd during the season’s inaugural big clay event by executing a brilliant sliced backhand volley at the net during the fifth game.
However, the 28-year-old Berrettini, who was the Wimbledon runner-up in 2021, surged ahead by breaking Zverev in the seventh game of the final set. He then went on to serve for the match at 5-4, but Zverev responded by breaking back.
After a gripping 11th game — highlighted by a monumental 48-shot rally won by Berrettini at deuce — the Italian regained the upper hand with another break of serve, earning another opportunity to serve out the match. Victory came as Zverev’s two-handed backhand found the net.
Berrettini, who will face either Jiri Lehecka or 13th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti next, soaked in the adulation from the audience.
The last Italian to claim the Monte Carlo title was Fabio Fognini in 2019, buoyed by a wave of enthusiastic support from Italian fans across the nearby border.
In other second-round matches on Tuesday, Greece’s three-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas commenced his title defense with a hard-fought victory over Australian Jordan Thompson, winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Meanwhile, U.S. Open semifinalist Jack Draper showcased dominance, trouncing Marcos Giron 6-1, 6-1.
In remaining first-round action, Denmark’s Holger Rune was forced to retire while trailing 6-2, 3-0 against Nuno Borges due to health concerns.
Fifteenth-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov triumphed over Nicolas Jarry 6-3, 6-4 on his seventh match point and next faces wild card Valentin Vacherot from Monaco.
Additional first-round matches saw victories for Alexei Popyrin, veteran Roberto Bautista Agut, and Tomas Machac.
On Wednesday, watch for two-time champion Novak Djokovic as he faces Alejandro Tabilo, the player who shocked him at last year’s Italian Open.
Djokovic is ambitiously chasing the 100th title of his career, particularly after narrowly losing the Miami Open final to Jakub Mensik recently.
