Matteo Berrettini became the first Italian to reach the US Open men’s semi-finals after Having a five-set slugfest against Gael Monfils on Wednesday since 1977.
Berrettini, the 24th seed, also made some enormous hitting battle to a lung-busting 3-6 6-3 6-2 3-6 7-6 (7-5) victory in sweltering conditions under the roof of Arthur Ashe.
Even the 23-year-old won an epic poem competition lasting a color after taking his game point to emerge on top of a roller-coaster ride of the encounter.
«At this time I do not recall any issues. Just the match stage,» explained Berrettini, who dropped here in the first round last year. «While I was playing I thought, this is only one of the greatest matches I ever saw. I had been enjoying with, but I was watching too.»
Despite creating 64 unforced errors he served 15 aces and struck on 53 winners, winning a match. Monfils served 17 faults and created 51 unforced errors.
Berrettini will now hope to go one better than his compatriot Corrado Barazzutti, who dropped to Jimmy Connors at Forest Hills 42 decades ago, when he chooses the winner of the past quarter-final between three-time champion Rafael Nadal and Diego Schwartzman of Argentina for a place in the closing.
