LONDON – World number one Jannik Sinner survived a fierce all-Italian battle against Matteo Berrettini to secure his spot in the third round of Wimbledon on Wednesday.
Sinner claimed the first two sets on tiebreaks under the closed roof before weathering a Berrettini comeback to ultimately prevail 7-6(3) 7-6(4) 2-6 7-6(4).
Berrettini, runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2021 but hindered by injuries last year, played some powerful tennis that hinted at the possibility of forcing a decider.
Top seed Sinner faced instability as he fell behind early in the fourth set but regained his footing to take control.
Berrettini saved a match point when serving at 5-6 in the fourth set and hit a forehand winner to push the match into the third tiebreak of a compelling contest.
Despite the odds suggesting a Berrettini win in the tiebreak, Sinner once again excelled under pressure, maintaining his perfect record against fellow Italians with a 14-0 tally.
The 22-year-old Sinner will continue his quest to add the Wimbledon title to his Australian Open victory this year, facing Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic on Friday.