“Imagine if that happened in the WTA”
Tennis fans have expressed disappointment over Matteo Berrettini’s loss to Alexander Shevchenko 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Arizona Tennis Classic. This defeat marked the end of all the campaigns of the top players in the tournament.
After a disappointing loss in his opening round match at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Berrettini accepted a wildcard into the ATP Challenger event in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. This wasn’t the first time Berrettini had competed in Arizona, having been the event’s inaugural champion back in 2019.
Several notable players also received a main draw wild card into the Phoenix tournament, including the likes of Diego Schwartzman and Gael Monfils. Four other top 50 players who competed in the Arizona Tennis Classic were: Richard Gasquet, Alexander Bublik, Jiri Lehecka and Marc-Andrea Huesler. Unfortunately, all of these players were defeated earlier than expected and eliminated from the tournament.
Several tennis enthusiasts expressed their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the Italian’s match, while others were surprised by Matteo Berrettini’s loss to a qualifier. One fan even questioned what would have happened if such underperforming results had been achieved by female players.
“Okay, imagine if that happened in wta,” they wrote.
Another tennis enthusiast found Berrettini’s loss in the quarterfinals particularly amusing as it resulted in the semifinals having two qualifiers and one substitute despite starting with such a full field.
“2 qualifiers and 1 substitute in this SF makes the result much more fun,” they tweeted.
Here are some more reactions from fans:
Shevchenko defeated Quentin Halys in the semifinals 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 and now meets Nuno Borges in the final.
Matteo Berrettini’s 2023 season got off to a shaky start
Matteo Berrettini is struggling to find his footing in the new season after a lackluster performance in 2022. The former world No. 6 has only managed to rack up eight wins while suffering six losses in the 2023 season.
Berrettini got his United Cup season off to a flying start, securing three straight wins and suffering just two losses for Team Italy. However, his luck took a turn for the worse at the Australian Open, where he defended his semi-final entry from the previous year.
Unfortunately, the 26-year-old was forced out of the tournament early after losing in the opening round to a resurgent Andy Murray. Despite having a match point, Berrettini failed to convert it, resulting in his defeat.
The 26-year-old made a comeback at the 2023 Mexican Open in Acapulco. After reaching the quarterfinals, Berrettini had to retire in the middle of the game because of an alleged calf injury against Holger Rune. His next performance at Indian Wells was also lackluster, and he was eliminated in the Round of 64 by Japan’s Taro Daniel.
Matteo Berrettini is now hoping to regain his footing at the upcoming 2023 Miami Open.
