By Tennis Now | Sunday, April 28, 2019
Matteo Berrettini rode a strong serving performance to his second career title with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, win over Filip Krajinovic in the Budapest final.
Photo credit: Hungarian Open Facebook
Staggering into Budapest on a five-match, Tour-level losing streak, Matteo Berrettini was flying high at the Hungarian Open today.
Berrettini rode a strong serving performance bursting past Filip Krajinovic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, in the Budapest final to capture his second career title.
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The 6'5" Italian thumped six aces, permitted just five points on first serve and dropped serve only once in a one hour, 41-minute triumph.
It's Berrettini's first title since he stopped Roberto Bautista Agut to win Gstaad last July. The 55th-ranked Berrettini is projected to rise to a career-high rank of No. 37 when the new ATP rankings are released tomorrow.
The 105th-ranked Krajinovic, who upset second-seeded Borna Coric en route to the final, was bidding to become the first qualifier to win a Tour-level title this season.
Since reaching the Sofia semifinals in February, Berrettini had struggled to a 1-5 mark in Tour-level events. Berrettini beat 43rd-ranked Mikhail Kukushkin, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (2) to win the Arizona Tennis Classic Challenger in Phoenix last month, and opened this tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 win over the seventh-seeded Kukushskin to snap his Tour-level losing streak.
Playing his second Tour-level final, Krajinovic saw Berrettini blast through 12 straight points on serve and 16 of his first 17 service points in building a 4-3 lead.
Working the low slice helped Krajinovic carve out the first break. The Serbian hit the slice to make the big man bend then cracked a diagonal forehand to Berrettini's weaker wing drawing an error to break for 5-4. Krajinovic serve out the 35-minute opener at 15.
When things got tight today, Berrettini kept calm.
Midway through the second set, Berrettini began jolting his forehand with more force and driving returns right back at the Serbian. On his third break point, Berrettini banged a return to rattle out an error ending a six-minute game breaking for 4-2.
An increasingly cranky Krajinovic showed his frustration when he was hit with an audible obscenity warning in the next game before Berrettini held. Krajinovic saved two set points holding for 3-5 and forcing the 23-year-old Italian to serve out the set.
Berrettini was up to the task.
Deadening a soft backhand drop volley brought the big man triple set point.
Hammering a forehand into the corner, Berrettini snatched the second set to force a decider after 75 minutes.
The Italian No. 3 was first-rate in the last set.
Whipping forehands with vigor, Berrettini broke again for a 4-1 lead in the final set.
Pounding his hand over his heart, Berrettini wrapped up a one hour, 41-minute victory tapping his heart with his hand.