Zverev slump continues with clay disappointment

Matteo Berrettini staged a comeback to deny Alexander Zverev an opening season win on clay, with the Italian knocking out the top seed 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Tuesday at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Berrettini was playing in front of a home crowd at the venue just 15 kilometers from the Italian frontier.

The former Wimbledon finalist said he had to shift is attitude after dropping the opening set, sticking with his game plan against the German but upping his intensity.

“I was not hitting my shots the same as in previous days,” the winner who turns 29 on Saturday said. “I had to adapt to conditions and Zverev was returning really deep.

“(After losing the first set) I told myself to play more aggressive. If I was going to lose, I wanted to be doing the right things – luckily, it worked.”

Berrettini had to serve twice for victory and set up his second chance by winning a 48-shot rally for a break point and taking a 6-5 lead a game later.

He finished off the upset moments later when Zverev put a backhand into the net on match point after two and a half hours.

Defeat handed world No. 2 Zverev his second opening-match loss in a month at a Masters 1000 event. Berrettini beat a top 10 opponent on clay for only the second time.

Zverev, who also lost in his Indian Wells opener a month ago. had little to say about the heavy defeat.

“I think it was bad. I thought my level was terrible, but that’s just my opinion.

“I played a great first set, and once I got broken in the second set I played ten
levels down.

“I stopped hitting the ball… it’s the same story of the last few months. Nothing changes. “It’s me who lost the match, once again.”

Main photo:- Matteo Berrettini celebrates victory – by ATPTour.com/Corinne Dubreuil