Matteo Berrettini is back with a bang on the ATP Tour.
The Italian marched to the title in just his second tour-level event of the season on Sunday at the Grand Prix Hassan II, where he snapped Roberto Carballes Baena’s nine-match winning streak in Marrakech with a 7-5, 6-2 victory.
Berrettini produced a superb display of hitting in a high-quality championship match to lift his first trophy since his Queen’s Club victory in 2022. He notched two breaks of serve in each set, particularly raising his level in the second for a one-hour, 46-minute triumph at the clay-court ATP 250.
“I want to thank my team,” said Berrettini at the trophy ceremony. “It’s been a tough past couple of years, I would say, and thanks to them I was able to overcome all the tough moments. My body wasn’t allowing me to play, so it’s thanks to [them] that I am here.
"[I also want to thank] all the people that made my comeback possible. All my friends, my family, people that were with me all the times when I was sad and injured, and I didn’t think I could make it, so thank you very much.”
𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐂𝐇 🙌
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 7, 2024
It’s first title since 2022 for @MattBerrettini as he defeats Carballes Baena 7-5 6-2 #GrandPrixHassanII pic.twitter.com/BG2YycL1yj
The 2021 Wimbledon finalist was playing just his third tournament back after missing six months with an ankle injury. He dropped only two sets all week in Marrakech, where he is the first Italian champion since 2006. The 27-year-old now owns eight ATP Tour titles.
The pivotal moment in Berrettini’s final win came after he had broken Carballes Baena to lead 6-5 in the opening set. The Spaniard looked set to reclaim the break immediately as he held three break points at 0/40, but Berrettini produced some huge serving to ward off the danger and claim the first set with five straight points.
It was largely one-way traffic from there as Berrettini showcased his full repertoire of skills in the second set. He struck his forehand cleanly and used drop shots to great effect, ultimately wrapping his victory having saved seven of eight break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
With his title run, the former World No. 6 Berrettini has also risen 51 spots to No. 84 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
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