Tennis: Berrettini advances in Halle, Sinner also wins in doubles

John

By John

The journey begins well Matteo Berrettini in Halle. After the final lost in Stuttgart, the 28-year-old from Rome beat the American on his debut, albeit twenty-four hours late. Alex Michelsen in straight sets with a score of 7-6(5) 6-2, qualifying for the second round of the German ATP 500.

For Berrettini, who had already played in a semi-final in Halle in 2019, the success coincided with the fiftieth career victory on grass. The fifty-first will look for it against another American, Marcus Gironwinner of the only previous match played in his career four years ago in the Masters1000 in Bercy.

Waiting to return to the court in the round of 16 of the singles match against Fábián Marozsán, Jannik Sinner he also wins in doubles: the world n.1 with his friend Hubert Hurkacz on his debut he beat the Americans Lammons and Withrow, seeded number 3, in three sets with a score of 6-4 5-7 11-9. In the next round they will face the French Reboul and Doumbia.

Nothing to do instead Mattia Darderi who surrendered for just two points, in the tie break of the third set, with the German Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round of the German tournament. The 22-year-old Italian-Argentine, n.34 ATP, lost 6-7, 7-5, 7-6, after a battle lasting over two and a half hours. Darderi did not take advantage of a break advantage in the decisive set and missed a match point at 8-7 in the tie-break, which ended at 12-10 for the German. Struff passes on the tenth match point and will face the Greek in the round of 16 Stefanos Tsitsipas, n.11 in the ranking and sixth seeding favorite. Bitter grass, that of Queen’s though, also for Matteo Arnaldi who bid farewell to the tournament in the round of 16, eliminated by the Australian Rinki Hijikata in two sets with a score of 7-6(0) 7-6(7): a match resolved by tie-breaks, with Arnaldi able to cancel five match points before surrendering to the Australian. In Birmingham, however, he smiles Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who secured the pass to the quarter-finals of the British WTA 250: the 23-year-old from Fermo, n.44 in the ranking, fresh from the round of 16 at Roland Garros (the first in a Slam), protagonist on her debut in the elimination of the Latvian Ostapenko, n.13 in the ranking and first seeding favourite, beat American Sloane Stephens 6-4 6-2 in the second round. «Having eliminated the top seed of the tournament on my debut gave me a lot of confidence. It’s only my third career tournament on this surface but I like playing on grass” said the Italian