Berrettini doesn't stop, beats O'Connell and reaches the quarterfinals in Dubai

Matteo Berrettini is increasingly confident, and also reaches the quarterfinals at the ATP 500 in Dubai. The Roman, former number 6 in the world, unleashes the hammer and closes in two sets against Christopher O'Connell, Australian number 75 in the world who surrenders 7-6(2) 6-2. Entering the top 30, where he had been missing since the summer of 2023, was an extra push for Matteo who now awaits the winner between Tsitsipas and Khachanov to play for a place in the semifinals. Berretto closed in double figures with aces, 15, and found himself at ease in tie breaks that had not given him much satisfaction lately: "I'm happy because I'm healthy and I'm playing well - Berretto said on the eve -. Doha was a great tournament , with three great battles: in the quarterfinals I could have perhaps even won but in any case that tournament (and the first victory against Djokovic, ed.) gave me a lot of confidence. 'Last year at this time I wasn't even playing: I was training with a lot of question marks".

Matteo resolved the first set in a tie break, conducted masterfully after many difficulties during the first set, leaving his rival at 2 and starting again with momentum in the second set with the opening break that he held tightly until 5-2, doubling it for the 6-2 that gave him the match. It is a Berrettini who aims to return to the best levels after two years of physical and mental pain. 2025 has finally started from the beginning and the Roman's goal is to finally enjoy the season on the red clay that he had to skip in the last two years. Above all Rome and the Foro Italico, the event he cares about the most, after having had to give up on the eve of the first match last year.