Berrettini notches up sixth straight grass success

Matteo Berrettini won his sixth straight match on grass Thursday to power into the Queen’s quarter-finals with a 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 comeback win over Denis Kudla.

The Italian who lifted his second title last weekend at Stuttgart – he is undefeated at that German grass event – has not lost since making his comeback to the Tour last week after three months out due to hand surgery.

Last summer’s Queen’s champion  pounded 22 winners in a victory which took nearly three hours. 

“I’m glad I’m through. He played a really good match and most of the time I think he deserved to win,” the Italian ranked 10th said.

“But I was there and worked hard and I am just really happy.”

Berrettini, who will drop from the Top 10 as he plays a Wimbledon stripped of ranking points due to the political wrangling between the All England Club and the ATP, is a top threat at the Grand Slam after reaching the final last summer.

“I’ve felt a lot of support since the first match last year,” he said. “That is why I love to come here. 

“The Club is great but the crowd is unbelievable, they helped me a lot today.”

Berrettini now takes on Tommy Paul after the American defeated three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka – an injury comeback victim like Berrettini – 6-1, 6-4 in 66 minutes.

2014 semi-finalist Wawrinka, 37, was playing Queen’s for the eighth time and was handed a Wimbledon wild card for the major which starts a week from Monday.

Main photo:- Matteo Berrettini winning at Queens today – by ATPTour.com