Australian Open: Matteo Berrettini - Italy's number one wants to steal the show from Rafael Nadal

“I’ve seen him so many times at this and other tournaments and cheered for him,” enthused Matteo Berrettini, referring to Rafael Nadal. He now faces the superstar from Spain in the semifinals.

The fan meets his idol.

“Playing on Rod Laver against Rafa in the semifinals is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid,” Berrettini said at the press conference after his nerve-racking 6: 4, 6: 4, 3: 6, 3: 6, 6: 2 success against Gaël Monfils.

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It is only the second time that the 25-year-old has met Nadal in his career – and again it is about entering a Grand Slam final. In 2019, Berrettini lost to the Spaniard in three sets at the US Open.

Nadal is now the favorite again, which shows how the Italian’s perception still is.

Berrettini flies under the radar

The name Berrettini is rarely mentioned when it comes to the question of favorites in the run-up to the big tournaments. The Roman was in the final of Wimbledon in the 2021 season and has qualified twice for the ATP Finals in the past three years. Since October 2019, Berrettini has been consistently in the top 10 in the world.

Still – Berrettini always flies a little under the radar.

Quarterfinals: Berrettini defies Monfils’ comeback – highlights

This is how the number seven in the world “crept” into the semi-finals in Melbourne. In the first three rounds against Brandon Nakashima, Stefan Kozlov and Carlos Alcaraz he didn’t get through without dropping a sentence. This was followed by a narrow three-set win against Pablo Carreño Busta in the round of 16 and the five-set showdown with Monfils.

The results and performances make it difficult to assess the current strength of the five-time ATP tournament winner.

That will of course change compared to Nadal. Berrettini himself is convinced of his performances, as the statements before the semifinals suggest. “I really want to win this game and I know I can do it,” emphasized the seventh in the world rankings. The fact that he is in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the third time shows “that this is my level and I want to get on”.

Nadal: “I was physically destroyed”

You don’t hear announcements of this kind very often from professionals who meet Nadal. The 35-year-old survived an extreme battle of attrition against Denis Shapovalov in the quarter-finals. “I was physically destroyed,” Nadal admitted after 6:3, 6:4, 4:6, 3:6, 6:3 against the Canadian.

Quarterfinals: Nadal wrestles Shapovalov – highlights

Berrettini will not be blinded by this – after all, he studied the career and incredible fighting spirit of the record Grand Slam champion from childhood…

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