Berrettini, at this point everything is playing out in the open: there are no more secrets to reveal, it is clear to everyone.
On the one hand there is the desire to see them face each other again in the London arena. On the other there is the knowledge that at the end of this match one between Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini will necessarily have to return home. It would not have been as valuable, but it would have been better, that’s for sure, for them to face each other in an exhibition, rather than in the second round of a Slam.
In contrast, the Wimbledon main draw was as unforgiving as ever. We knew the risk was high that they would cross paths, the Roman not being the top seed, but we were hatching, deep down, the hope that it could happen as late as possible. In the final stages of the majors, perhaps, so that we would not have to give up either of them. That’s the way it is now, though, and there is little to regret. There is only to wait and warm up in anticipation of what will be one of the most exciting duels of the current season.
The fact that the South Tyrolean leads the Atp ranking makes him the favorite in this fratricidal face-off. We are well aware, however, that on grass, especially the grass at the All England Club, Matteo has plenty of darts to shoot. If he feels good physically and mentally, then, he could bother the world No. 1 more than we can imagine.
Berrettini, les jeux sont faits or maybe not: secrets no, but hammers yes
The Roman knows well who is in front of him and he also knows that the chances of surviving this match are low, if only for a matter of statistics and ranking. He does well, however, not to give himself away, to tell the press that he will do everything to try to beat him.
If there is one thing he should not doubt, in fact, that is his familiarity with grass. “It won’t be easy against him: I’ll have to play a very good match,” these were Berrettini’s words once he learned that Jannik had beaten Hanfmann, “He has improved so much with his serve and also with his touch, he is doing incredible things. But Wimbledon for me is a special place, I’m doing well and I don’t think he was happy with the draw either….”
“So,” he added in a corner kick, “I will go on the court with the knowledge that I can play on a level playing field, even though I from a tactical point of view don’t have many secrets. Certainly it is true, as he says, that his repertoire is more limited than Sinner’s, but he is still a hammer. And this could potentially compensate for the absence of strategies and secrets. Les jeux sont all but faits, in short.