Chennai Open ATP: Italy’s Berrettini ousts sixth-seed Shimabukuro
Berrettini, ranked No 324 in the world, won 6-3, 7-6 in the centre court against Japan’s Shimabukro
Jacopo Berrettini in action during the Chennai ATP Challenger
CHENNAI: After the qualifying rounds got over on Monday morning, the Main draw of the Chennai Open ATP Challenger kicked off in an hot afternoon with Italy’s Jacopo Berrettini clinching a victory with straight sets against sixth-seed Sho Shimabukuro at the SDAT Tennis Stadium.
Berrettini, ranked No 324 in the world, won 6-3, 7-6 in the centre court against Japan’s Shimabukro. The former came out firing despite Shimbakuro's early push in the opening set to level at 1-1 and the Italian reeled off three straight games.
The highlight was a marathon sixth game, lasting over ten minutes with multiple deuces and game points, where Berrettini’s composure proved decisive.
After the break, Shimabukro won back-to-back games to close the gap to 5-3, but Berrettini shut the door in the ninth game, sealing the set.
However, the sixth-seed showed his grit in the second set, racing to a 2-0 lead. But Berrettini struck back, leveling at 2-2 with blistering forehand winners. A tense exchange saw Shimbakuro force a tiebreak after making it 6-6.
In the tiebreak, Berrettini’s experience shone through. Frustrated over a missed opportunity in the previous game, he channelled his energy into a dominant finish, clinching the breaker and the match.
“I think the key of the match was my attitude, my energy and I think I received it very well from the beginning so I put a lot of pressure on him. I had some moments where I could have done better but it's tennis, it's normal. It's the first match of the year so I can do better for sure in the next match, but I'm really happy about that,” said Berrettini after his win.
He is the younger brother of former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini and spoke about his relationship with him.
“For me he’s not just a tennis player, he's my brother, he's a best friend so we have a good relationship. He's an inspiration for me also in the court but mostly outside of the court because he's a very good human, so I'm really lucky to have him,” he said.
In the qualifying draw, all four Indians who won their matches on Sunday failed to repeat their success in the final round of qualifying. 21-year-old Chirag Duhan battled hard before falling in a third set tiebreak to seventh-seed Yurii Dzhavakian 4-6, 6-1, 7-6. Dev Javia also went to three sets against Egor Agafonov before going down 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
