“Matteo Berrettini eliminated in his debut in Rome by Popyrin.”

Matteo Berrettini suffers a shocking defeat in Rome: the “hammer blow” that missed the target and ends up losing in record time!

Matteo Berrettini’s adventure at the Internazionali d’Italia lasted only an hour and a half, in a conclusion that no one expected at the Foro Italico. The Italian tennis player, who had long promised to shine at home, was unexpectedly eliminated by Australian Alexei Popyrin, who imposed an unrelenting duel and completely neutralized the weapons of “The Hammer.” The final result was a resounding 6-2, 6-3, leaving Berrettini out of the competition right at the entrance — something that hadn’t happened since 2017, the year of his debut as a wild card in Rome.

From the very first point, Berrettini showed evident difficulties, failing to find the rhythm and confidence he needed to counter his opponent. Although he managed to secure the only break point of the match, it was insufficient to change the course of the encounter. From 2-2 in the first set, Popyrin raised the level of his game, imposing prolonged rallies and achieving two consecutive service breaks, closing the opening set with authority.

The story did not change in the second set, where the Australian needed only a long and contested game in the sixth game to secure the decisive break and seal the final score at 6-3. This bitter defeat not only eliminates Berrettini from the tournament but also causes him to lose position in the ATP ranking, definitively dropping out of the top 100 after Rome — a harsh setback for someone looking to relaunch their season on clay.

While Berrettini disappoints, young Russian prospect Mirra Andreeva shines and shows she is here to stay. At just 19 years old, Andreeva, a recent finalist in Madrid, entered Rome with unwavering confidence and crushed Croatian Antonia Ruzic with a commanding 6-0, 6-1. Her solid performance confirms the upward trend in the women’s circuit.

On the same day, Chinese tennis player Qinwen Zheng returned to winning ways with a convincing victory over Spanish player Bucsa by 7-6, 6-2, reinforcing her bid to progress to the later stages. In the men’s circuit, other significant results marked the day: Terence Atmane overcame Zizou Bergs with a score of 6-3, 6-4, while Miomir Kecmanovic dominated Czech Dabor Svrcina with a 6-2, 6-3, ensuring steady progress towards the later rounds.

This initial round in Rome did not bring surprises for some, but for Berrettini, the blow was hard and unexpected, leaving open questions about the future of his career and his ability to reinvent himself on the top circuit. The Italian capital has already resonated with great battles, but this time it was the stage for an elimination that will echo in the coming weeks of world tennis.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.