The Italian, a two-time BOSS Open champion, edged out Roman Safiullin Tuesday in his return to competition.
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When the grass-court season rolls around, one can count on Matteo Berrettini doing everything in his power to be ready for it.
Having missed Roland Garros for the third consecutive year after not feeling fully fit for best-of-five set action, Berrettini needed every bit of energy to scrape through his opening match in Stuttgart Tuesday.
Playing at the BOSS Open, the BOSS-sponsored competitor battled past Roman Safiullin, 7-6 (8), 5-7, 7-5, to win his first match since triumphing on clay at Marrakech in April. Berrettini finished with 27 aces to just one double fault.
A two-time champion here, Berrettini nearly saw the first set slip away when his 5-2 lead in the tie-break was erased by Safiullin. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist staved off a set point at 6-7 on his serve and later clinched a one-set lead.
As the Russian leveled and upped the pressure, Berrettini stood his ground in the decider by fighting off at least one break point in three consecutive service games. Having missed a match point up 5-4, the 28-year-old watched Safiullin save two more in the 12th game before converting his fourth chance on a netted forehand across the net.
“First match after a few months, I was hoping for something easier. But I think I am really proud of the way I fought on court,” Berrettini told the crowd on court afterwards.
“The tennis wasn’t obviously my best level but I didn’t expect anything different. After you don’t play months, it’s never easy to come back and play good. That’s what I told myself, to just fight and be there, try to enjoy because I missed again the clay season. I am really happy to be back here.”
Denis Shapovalov awaits in the second round, following his 7-6 (5), 7-5 victory over qualifier Matteo Martineau of France.
Andy Murray’s hopes for kickstarting his grass-court swing with a win were dashed by Marcos Giron. The American fired seven aces past the former world No. 1 and made the most of a single break in each set to advance, 6-3, 6-4.
Giron gets another British opponent next in sixth seed Jack Draper.
Elsewhere, fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti toppled 20-year-old Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, 7-6 (9), 7-6 (9), saving a combined three set points. The Italian also needed eight match points to shut the door on the French qualifier.
Brandon Nakashima won an all-American clash with Chris Eubanks, 7-6 (4), 6-4. With top seed Alexander Zverev withdrawing, Nakashima now meets lucky loser Richard Gasquet for a quarterfinal place.
