Birthday boy Berrettini makes last 16 with dramatic win over Cerundolo in Monte-Carlo

It was a perfect birthday celebration Italian Matteo Berrettini on Wednesday at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. The Italian edged Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo 5-7, 7-6 (1), 6-4 to move into the last 16 of the Monte-Carlo Masters and set a clash with Dane Holger Rune, the No 6 seed, next.

Remarkably Berrettini squandered a 5-0 lead in the opening set against Cerundolo, dropping the final seven games of the first set.

He could have easily dropped his head and lost confidence, but he raised his level and dominated the second-set breaker to force the Argentine to a third set.

In the final set the 27-year-old Italian broke for 3-2 and served out three more holds to lock down the win.

Berrettini did not face a break point across the second and third set of the match.

Battle-tested and gaining confidence

Berrettini had never won a match at Monte-Carlo before this year, and he says he is thrilled to be having success at an event that means a great deal to him.

Berrettini also reaches the third round at a Masters 1000 for the first time in over a year, since the 2022 BNP Paribas Open. Injuries have certainly played a part in his struggles at the biggest events, and he acknowledged that on Wedneseday after notching his seventh win of the season.

“It’s been a couple of years where I got some good results but then I couldn’t be consistent because I got injured many times,” Berrettini said. “It’s never easy when you go and then you stop and then you go again, especially in a tournament like this one where I never won a match. I really care about it. I live here so you know, it’s special and hopefully it’s going to be a long run. 

“Really happy for this fight, and  think it’s gonna give me a lot of confidence.”

The Italian defeated American Maxime Cressy (6-4, 6-2) in the previous round of the Monte-Carlo tournament.

In the previous round of the Monte-Carlo tournament, Cerundolo, ranked No 33, won against No 11 seed Cameron Norrie (6-3, 6-4).

Monte-Carlo Masters, other second-round results (Monte-Carlo Country Club, clay, EUR 5.779.335, most recent results first):

• Holger Rune beat Dominic Thiem (WC): 6-2, 6-4
• Taylor Fritz (8) beat Stan Wawrinka (WC): 7-6 (10), 6-2
• Daniil Medvedev (3) beat Lorenzo Sonego (WC): 6-3, 6-2
• Karen Khachanov (9) beat Ilya Ivashka (Q): 7-6 (2), 6-2
• Jannik Sinner (7) beat Diego Schwartzman: 6-0, 3-1 ret.
• Jiri Lehecka beat Grigor Dimitrov: 7-6 (4), 6-4
• Lorenzo Musetti (16) beat Luca Nardi (Q): 6-0, 6-0
• Nicolas Jarry beat Alexei Popyrin (Q): 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
• Casper Ruud (4) beat Botic van de Zandschulp: 7-5, 7-6 (1)
• Jan-Lennard Struff (Q) beat Alex De Minaur (14): 6-3, 6-2
• Alexander Zverev (13) beat Roberto Bautista Agut: 6-4, 6-4
• Stefanos Tsitsipas (2) beat Benjamin Bonzi: 4-1 ret.
• Hubert Hurkacz (10) beat Jack Draper: 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-5
• Novak Djokovic (1) beat Ivan Gakhov (Q): 7-6 (5), 6-2
• Andrey Rublev (5) beat Jaume Munar: 4-6, 6-2, 6-2

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