World No. 16 Matteo Berrettini will be in action at the United Cup as he takes on Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro in what would be only their second meeting on the tour.
The former world No. 6 had a decent season in 2022 as he won two titles – the Stuttgart Open and the Queen’s Club Championships. Berrettini was pegged back by injuries and COVID-19 during the year. In fact, after testing positive for COVID-19, he was ruled out of the Wimbledon Championships.
During the year, the Italian tennis pro won 32 matches and lost just 12. He will hope to begin the new season on a strong note and also stay free from injuries. When in full flow, the 25-year-old can be a joy to watch. His strong serve and forehand would surely keep Monteiro on his toes.
The 28-year-old is currently the No. 1 ranked Brazilian player. He won his seventh Challenger title in Salzburg earlier this year by defeating Nobert Gombos in the final. On the tour, he managed to win just 15 matches and suffered defeats on 21 occasions.
The experienced campaigner will have to take a lot of responsibility as team Brazil is surely not one of the strongest teams in the competition. Monteiro’s defense will be tested against the aggressive Berrettini and he will also have to counterattack from time to time.
The head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 1-0 in favor of Matteo Berrettini. They met each other earlier in the year in the round of 16 of the Rio Open. Berrettini won the match in three sets 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.
Prediction: Matteo Berrettini to win in three sets.
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