Matteo Berrettini returned to Carreño with 28 aces

Pablo Carreño’s farewell to the Australian Open was sad and somewhat bland, because he lost against Matteo Berrettini in an ugly match, one of the many that unfortunately will be in the tennis of the future if nobody fixes it when the Big Three hang up the rackets. The 25-year-old Italian and seventh-seeded player in the tournament had a very successful day with his serve and thus reduced the Spaniard, who never believed in his chances against a rival who endorsed him with 28 aces for a total of 57 Winning shots, many with that powerful drive he drives, one of the deadliest on the circuit. Thus he won 7-5, 7-6 (4) and 6-4 in 2h22 of torpor. So much so, that a large part of the audience at the Rod Laver Arena left the stands at the end of the second set, and many others left midway through the third.

After Korda won on Friday, Carreño warned that the difference between the players who are at the top of the ranking is measured in direct confrontations. And there it is difficult for the Spaniard to find his moment, who has never managed to beat a top-10 in his nine participations in the tournament. His top in Melbourne will continue to be the round of 16. Against Berrettini he lacked a little more attitude at times to know how to assess and exploit the things he was doing well, including serving well, hitting deep and accelerating with the drive. In the debit, some raises that did not touch and certain shots that he made with apathy, probably the result of desperation in the face of the reality that his opponent managed a high percentage of firsts (77%) and that with them he barely lost goals (87%) .

in that situation, Pablo could only make one break option in the entire match and he did not save two of the seven that the transalpine had, who becomes the tenth active player (48th in the Open Era) who reaches the quarter round at all Grand Slams along with Cilic, Del Potro, Djokovic, Federer, Murray, Nadal, Nishikori, Tsonga and Wawrinka. He is already the Italian with the most appearances (5) at that point after Pietrangeli (10) and Panatta (6).

Monfils, unstoppable

On Tuesday he will face the Frenchman Gael Monfils, for the moment, the tennis player who has starred in a cleaner performance in the championship. The Frenchman defeated Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in 2h34, and has yet to lose a single set. The Frenchman equals his compatriot Yannick Noah with 10 appearances in the Grand Slam quarterfinals, behind only Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who arrived 15 times. Last year he fell in the first round against the Finn Ruusuvuori, and this year he caresses the semifinals. Life, with his marriage to the Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina, has changed him for the better and now he aspires to everything.

Australian Open Men’s Draw.