Top seed and world No1 Jannik Sinner took almost four hours to overcome compatriot Matteo Berrettini following an enthralling nighttime Battle Italia on Centre Court.
In an absorbing contest between Berrettini’s formidable serve and Sinner’s powers of return, it was the 22-year-old who finally emerged triumphant in a 7-6 7-6 2-6 7-6 epic that finished at 10.32pm.
Berrettini, a Wimbledon finalist in 2021, is now ranked 59 after abductor and ankle injuries and was reduced to the role of cheerleader when Sinner won the Davis Cup for Italy last year.
However, with strong backing from the sizeable stay-behind crowd, the older man at 28 fully contributed to a showcase slugfest that was match of the tournament so far and belonged later in the fortnight.
Certainly, they did their country’s sporting reputation more good than the Italian footballers who flopped at the Euros.
After the final point following a mishit by his opponent, Sinner raised his arm like a boxer who had just gone 15 rounds.
Sinner joined the Centre Court crowd in applauding Berrattini at the end and his post-match courtside interviewer rightly started by pointing out: ‘This was not so much a tennis court, this was a Collosseum.’
Sinner admitted it had been tough facing a countryman who would undoubtedly have been seeded with more matches under his belt.
He said: ‘We are very good friends. It was very tough we had to face in a second round in such an important tournament but today was a very high-level match, in three tiebreaks I sometimes got a bit of lucky and I will take that!
‘I can be happy with the way I handled the situation. Thanks for the support and for staying – it is quite late!’
Berrettini saved the only break point in the opening set with a trademark emphatic volley but Sinner, who won his maiden Grand Slam in Australia this year, upped his game to take the tiebreak seven points to three.
After 17 consecutive service holds, two breaks came along at once midway through the second set.
Sinner undercooked a drop shot for Berrettini to lead 4-2. But the non-seeded player’s serve then briefly deserted him with two double faults allowing an immediate break back.
The end result was another tiebreak with the same result, Sinner striking the ball more cleanly to take it seven points to four.
If anyone expected Berrettini to collapse at two sets down, they were mistaken.
It was Sinner who looked the more drained at the start of the third set. Berrettini, who has won four grasscourt titles and is considered something of a specialist, broke twice to race into a 3-0 lead and served out to win 6-2 as the clocked ticked beyond half-past nine.
When Sinner played a hotdog shot between his legs from the back of the court, the oohs and aahs were quickly drowned out by cheers as Berrettini raced to the net to put away the volley.
The momentum shift was evident at the start of the fourth set, also. Sinner was rushing his shots and hit a forehand into the net for Berrettini to break to lead 2-1.
He hasn’t reached the top of his sport without showing resolve, however. In the next game, Sinner broke back with Berrettini’s sliced backhand mistimed and drifting over the baseline.
The next point was a classic – with Berrettini almost running into the front row of the seats to retrieve the ball.
When Sinner covered every blade of grass but still lost a rally with Berrettini serving to save the match, he threw his racket across the court in disbelief.
The match seemed to be heading inextricably to a fourth-set tiebreak until Sinner earned a match point at 5-6 after successfully challenging a call – before Berrettini landed three huge serves to get out of trouble.
Fortunately for Sinner, he is a whizz at tiebreaks and triumphed for the third time, this time seven points to four. He even mixed it up a bit by venturing to the net and Berrettini blinked first, hitting wide for the vital mini-break.
