ATP Stuttgart: Boss Berrettini wins the title again - final victory over the ailing Andy Murray
Matteo Berrettini (ATP No. 10) is the winner of the Boss Open in Stuttgart. He beat Andy Murray in three sets in the final.
by Florian Goosman from Stuttgart
last edit: Jun 12, 2022, 05:59 pm
Matteo Berrettini remains the boss at Stuttgart's Weissenhof! After 2019, he now also won in 2022 - in the final against old champion Andy Murray with 6: 4, 5: 7 and 6: 3.
Berrettini showed an impressive performance with only a small slack at the end of the second set - which Murray, that fox, took advantage of.
Otherwise: the force of the Italian was too much. Like all week, Berrettini dominated the strong serve and the hammer forehand. After the early break to make it 2-1, Murray had a total of four break chances, but couldn't take any of them, after which the Italian only gave up three points on his own service.
Murray takes advantage of brief Berrettini lapse
In the second round a similar picture: Murray fought to stay in the match - but if he managed a 0:15, Berrettini usually grabbed the club on serve and, if necessary, followed up with the forehand. A tight game at 4:4 with three break chances for Berrettini was just grabbed by Murray and roared an energetic "Come onnnnnnnnn!" into the cheers of the audience, gave what felt like an eternity. But Berrettini: Served cool to 5: 5. A game later, however, a brief inattention: Murray fought back to 0:15, but then Berrettini put a simple forehand into the net and a double fault, Murray used the first set point straight away.
Murray injures himself in set 3 - and fights on
The beginning of the third set was all the more bitter after a long break: Murray injured his hip/abdominal muscles and had to accept the break straight away, taking a medical break. But Berrettini then only allowed a little, another short treatment break followed at 4: 2, but Murray was now visibly restricted and could only stretch minimally on serve. When Berrettini went for a lob at the end and Murray could only drain it as a stop (and took the point) due to his extension problems, he had a laugh too.
The match was over shortly afterwards. And the winner Berrettini: Of course he was overjoyed, especially since his victory also came as a surprise. Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist, has been without a match for three months after undergoing surgery on his right hand finger.
"Of course it was a dream, but coming back from an injury like that, from my first surgery," Berrettini recalled. Now this win - "that feels great."
Of course, this was not a nice ending, Berrettini also looked at final opponent Murray. "He showed us how to come back so many times. I learned so much from him. It was an honor to share the place with him."