BERRETTINI EYES ITALIAN DOUBLE
MATTEO IS EMULATING MANCINI’S MEN
MATTEO BERRETTINI wants to see Italian sporting history written at Wimbledon and Wembley this weekend.
The dashing world No.9 is the first man from the Bel Paese to reach the semi-finals at SW19 since 1960. And the Fiorentina fan is only two wins away from completing his half of a famous Italian sporting double in the English capital.
“Everything is crazy right now,” he said. “I really hope there will be two Italian wins in London on Sunday – it would be such an historic day.”
World No.1 Novak Djokovic, who takes on Denis Shapovalov today, remains the red-hot favourite to win a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title.
But there is guaranteed to be a first-time Grand Slam finalist as Berrettini, who watched the Italy-Spain game with Felix Auger-Aliassime before their quarter-final, will take on Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in the other semi.
The only other Italian man to reach the last four here was Nicola Pietrangeli, now 87, who lost to Rod Laver in five sets.
“It makes me really, really proud thinking that it has been 61 years,” said Berrettini.
“My father will be 59 this year. So my father was not even born! I have done a really beautiful thing. I will try not to stop here. This is tennis history being written and I am doing it.
Bello! And I don’t want to stop here.” Berrettini lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2019 followed by his first Major semifinal to Rafa Nadal at the US Open later that year.
But this time he is on an unbeaten streak to rival Roberto Mancini’s side – 10 matches on grass – including the biggest title of his career at Queen’s Club. And instead of the expected rematch with Federer, he will face world No.18 Hurkacz. “He’s having a great season – he has beaten Daniil Medvedev and Roger. It will be difficult but I can do it,” said No.7 seed Berrettini. Andy Murray’s conqueror Denis Shapovalov will then seek to inflict a first Grand Slam defeat of the season on 34-yearold Djokovic.
He has already won the Australian and French Opens and can complete the first men’s calendar Golden Slam, should he winWimbledon the Olympics and US Open.
BBC analyst John McEnroe said: “I think he will win the Grand Slam. He will lose at the Olympics because it’s all best-of-three and it’s tough to get back up that fast.
“Is it possible to say he has been better than ever at this age?”