Berrettini steps up injury comeback

Matteo Berrettini won a battle of injury comeback hopefuls, dispatching Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday for another quarter-final spot at the Stuttgart Open.

The two-time champion in the German car capital who calls grass his best surface.needed 73 minutes to defeat his Canadian opponent for the first time after two defeats.

Both of the pair are fighting back after long-term injury absences, with No. 117 Shapovalov headed for a grass Challenger next week in Yorkshire in hope of making a run back into the Top 100.

The Canadian missed the last half of 2023 while Berrettini, Stuttgart winner in 2019 and 2022, last played in August before rescuing in March at the Challenger level.

The 95th-ranked Italian has a pedigree on grass, finishing Wimbledon runner-up  2021.

He moved into the quarters on grass for the seventh time in his career and the first since Queen’s Club, London, in 2022.

“This (match) was the perfect test of my level, I had a long time away,” the winner said. “I’m happy to be through to the quarter-finals again.

“Grass is my best surface – let’s see if I can reach the semi-finals again,”

Berrettini took a 5-3 lead in the second set with a love game, only to be answered by the same from Shapovalov.

The Italian wrapped up victory on his first match point as Shapovalov returned long. “i had to play my best to beat him today – and I did.”

Main photo:- Wimbledon 2023 Matteo Berrettini celebrates as he wins third round match by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd