Berrettini quickly remedies slow Gstaad start

Former champion Matteo Berrettini was caught on the back foot as he lost serve to start before quickly slotting into winning rhythm on Thursday at the Swiss Open Gstaad.

The 28-year old Italian who won the title here in 2018 and reached the final in 2022 against Casper Ruud, got his game into gear for a 6-4, 6-2 demolition of Colombian Daniel Galan to move into the quarter-finals.

Berrettini, seeded sixth, moved through in 69 minutes, breaking his 142nd-ranked opponent on four of nine chances and sending down a dozen aces at the alpine event staged at just over 1000 metres in altitude.

The seed admitted he was caught off-guard in the opening moments before rallying to earn his 10th  match win from 11 career starts here.

“I’ve never played him, this can happen,” he said of his opening game loss of serve.

“There was a lot of wind and some tough conditions – there were some ugly points.

“But I felt better and better through the match, I’m happy with how I fought.”

The No. 82 who has battled injury over the past two seasons and is now starting to find his feet, said that returning to a venue where he won is a tonic.

“I have nice memories and feelings here,” he said of the elite alpine village favoured by discreet European VIPs. 

“I feel a lot of energy and support, it’s easy to come here and give your best.”

Berrettini said that his powerful serve will be the main key to continued advancement on the mountain clay.

“It’s the most important weapon here, but it’s also important to return well. You need to feel confident with your strokes in the rallies.”

The Italian holds a soft spot for Gstaad, where he earned the first of his eight titles.