United States Open | Matteo Berrettini and Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals

(New York) Matteo Berrettini (14^e world) qualified for the quarter-finals of the United States Open, beating 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, after a long standoff, the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Sunday in New York.

The Italian will face the Norwegian Casper Ruud on Tuesday (7^e) to try to reach, for the second time in his career, the last four at Flushing Meadows, after 2019.

Berrettini, who had already had to work for 3:47 to dismiss Andy Murray in the previous round, this time took barely two minutes less to overcome Davidovich Fokina, who gave him a hard time, before cracking physically in the last round.

At 3-2 against him, after having unbroken, the Spaniard hurt the front part of his left knee after a slip with his legs apart. The physiotherapist tried to numb the pain by rubbing the area with an ice pack, but his momentum was cut off.

Berrettini, winner of two tournaments this season, at Queen’s and Stuttgart, then did not fail to retain the advantage of a new successful break. And could finally breathe after having been roughed up in this match which remained undecided for a long time until this stroke of fate struck his opponent.

“I’m very proud of myself today. I didn’t start the way I wanted, but I fought my way back into the game. He played incredible tennis… Afterwards, it’s not the way I wanted to end the match, but I take this victory, ”commented the 26-year-old Italian, who once again made his power speak (17 aces , 49 winning moves in total).

Qualified Ruud

Casper Ruud, 7^e world player, also qualified for the quarter-finals, beating 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 the Frenchman Corentin Moutet (112^e).

The 23-year-old Norwegian reaches this stage for the first time at Flushing Meadows.

Rather a clay court specialist, as evidenced by his titles won this season in Buenos Aires, Geneva and Gstaad, as well as his journey to the final at Roland-Garros, beaten by the master of the place Rafael Nadal, Ruud confirms his ease on the surface. tough, interview in the spring at the Masters 1000 in Miami where he also failed on the last step.

Solid without being particularly impressive, he especially benefited during the first two rounds from the non-match of Moutet, who then completely passed from his first 8^e finals in the Grand Slam, committing a lot of unforced errors.

Frustration quickly won the French. It first manifested itself in a rather unusual way, when he did a series of push-ups, as if to punish himself – and perhaps re-motivate himself – after a lost point at the start of the second set. Less funny, he angrily sent two balls in quick succession into the stands, just before the loss of the round, logically receiving a penalty point, after having received a warning a little earlier for the same infraction.

Moutet showed a much better face in round three. Led 4-2, he was able to unbreak and then push Ruud to the decisive game. A tiebreaker during which the latter, in the grip of doubt, cracked by notably making a double fault on the set point of the Frenchman.

The Norwegian nevertheless managed to regain control of the match in the 4^e round, taking Moutet’s service to lead 3-1, not without immediately having to erase two break points. Advantage that he definitely kept afterwards.