Milan, Sept. 24 (LaPresse) – A strong start for Matteo Berrettini at the ATP 500 tournament in Tokyo. The former top-10 Italian player defeated Spain’s Jaume Munar in the first round, 6-4, 6-2, in one hour and 36 minutes. It’s Berrettini’s first victory since the Italian Open in May, when he beat Jacob Fearnley in the opening round.
After missing three break points in Munar’s early service games and saving three in the fourth game, Berrettini secured the crucial break in the fifth to take the first set. He then fended off another three break points to consolidate the lead and eventually closed the set 6-4.
In the second set, Berrettini took control early, racing to a 5-1 lead and sealing the match on his first match point. He served 9 aces in 9 service games, committed no double faults, landed 58% of his first serves, and won 79% of those points. Most notably, he saved all 8 break points faced. In the round of 16, Berrettini will face the winner between 4th seed Casper Ruud and Japanese wild card Shintaro Mochizuki (ATP No. 106).