It has been a long road back for Matteo Berrettini. The man who is endlessly described as a dark horse, a terrible draw, a big name for the seeds to trip up on, claimed another victim on Thursday. He outlasted 20th seed Arthur Fils in a big-serving battle on the grandest of stages, Centre Court, 6-4 7-6 3-6 6-3. But more important than the win, it seemed, was the smile and genuine belief as he said in his on-court interview: “I’m back”.
When he withdrew from his French Open quarter-final and struggled to hold back tears after yet another injury – a hip issue which forced him out on his first appearance, and greatest run, in five years – there were fears that his Wimbledon campaign was over before it had begun, the latest cruel setback in a litany the Italian has suffered.
