Berretini overcame Monfils after a great fight and is in the semifinals. He will play Nadal for the final

The second semifinalist of this year’s Australian Open is here and it is Matteo Berrettini as expected. Although the progression was definitely not as smooth as it seemed after the first two sets, Gael Monfils fought like a lion.

Berrettini is the seventh tennis player on the ATP rankings, last year he reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, the semifinals of the US Open and even the final of Wimbledon. At the age of 25, he is one of the best tennis players in the world.

Even at the current Australian Open, Berrettini is in great form. His biggest problems so far have been with the young Carlos Alcaraz, whom he beat only after a five-set battle.

And a similar scenario repeated itself in the quarter-finals against Gael Monfils. the 35-year-old veteran has experienced a resurgence, having reached the fourth round once, the third round once and twice packing up after just two matches at last year’s Grand Slams.

Now, however, he has deservedly made it to the quarterfinals. And even there, he didn’t give his skin away for free. Although it looked like a clean sweep at the start.

Berrettini was playing great, relying on his cannon serve and had the upper hand in every game. He took the first two sets 6-4 to take a comfortable 2-0 lead. But Monfils realised he had nothing to lose and started to play on the edge of a big risk – and lo and behold, it worked.

Suddenly, the French tennis player started to be the better and more confident one in the Rod Laver Arena and he took the third and fourth set 6-3. As with Alcaraz, Berrettini lost a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth set, however, the 25-year-old Italian shook it off and returned to what worked for him in the first two sets – a cannon serve followed by aggressive play. Berrettini broke Monfils twice to win comfortably 6-2.

He will play Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Australian Open. The Spanish tennis player, like Berrettini, led 2-0 in the quarterfinals against Shapovalov, but lost the lead and had to work hard in the fifth set, winning 3-2.

The semifinals are scheduled for Friday at 4:30. The other semifinal will come from the quarterfinal pairings of Sinner – Tsitsipas and Auger-Aliassime – Medvedev.

Source: Livesport