By Tony Fairbairn
- Andy Murray def Nick Kyrgios 7-6(5) 6-2
- Murray v Matteo Berrettini [2] | H2H: Tied at 1-1
STUTTGART, GERMANY – Andy Murray reached his tenth grass court final of his career with victory over Nick Kyrgios and will now face last year’s Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini for the Stuttgart title.
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Andy Murray def Nick Kyrgios 7-6(5) 6-2
Andy Murray is into his tenth grass court final of his career and his first since winning the Wimbledon title in 2016 after defeating Nick Kyrgios in straight sets. As expected there was very little to separate either player in the opening set as both of their serving and baseline games held up well.
Despite being put under pressure early on, Murray continued to show his tennis IQ and high intensity as he has done all week as he made the Australian run into uncomfortable areas of the court. Murray’s stern baseline power didn’t stop Kyrgios from showboating with tweeners and unique volleys as the Stuttgart crowd were treated to some entertaining tennis.
The first break points of the set were created by Kyrgios as he created some powerful returning. However Murray saved them with some good play at the net and some bold serving under pressure as he held for 4-3 and would create some break points of his own. But Kyrgios remained stern to keep the pressure on the Brit as the Australian was continuing to hit his spots on serve.
Unsurprisingly the opening set went to a tiebreak and it was the Brit with some patient and powerful baseline play, who had the edge and took the tiebreak 7-5 in an enthralling opening set. However that is where the enthralling tennis ended as Kyrgios’ temper got the best of him with racket smashes and explicit language to the crowd.
A point penalty was first in a game which saw Murray break at the start of the second set with a Kyrgios double fault. Following that was a game penalty which resulted in a 2-0 lead for Murray and a call for the supervisor from the Australian. Once play resumed it was all about the Brit’s controlled aggression as he dictated play and broke once again for a 4-1 lead.
Murray closed out victory to seal his second final of the season and his first since Sydney.
Andy Murray v Matteo Berrettini [2] H2H & Match Fundamentals
Andy Murray v Matteo Berrettini [2] | H2H: Tied at 1-1 |
ATP Stuttgart | Stuttgart, Germany |
Grass (O) | Prize Money: €61,420/€105,290 |
Second on Centre Court (Not before 14:00 BST) | TennisTV <- Subscription Required |
Murray will now face last year’s Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini for the Stuttgart title with the Italian just recovering from a wrist injury.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2022)
H2H: | Andy Murray (WR 68) | Matteo Berrettini (WR 10) |
Tournament Previous Best | N/A | Winner (2019) |
1st Serve % | 59.8 | 76.8 |
Service Games Won % | 82 | 87.7 |
Break Points Saved % | 59.1 | 71.6 |
2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 54 | 44.2 |
Break Points Converted % | 34.7 | 37.5 |
Berrettini has achieved great results with his serve this season but has been underwhelming on his second serve return so far, which is something Murray can exploit.
Playing styles and prediction
Berrettini had a positive start after reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open but the Italian was forced to miss the clay court season due to wrist surgery. However the world number ten is now back on his favourite surface and has had an impressive return to the tour this week in Stuttgart.
Murray will be wary of Berrettini’s big serve and forehand which was so influential in him reaching the final at Wimbledon last year. The Brit will look to construct the points focusing on the Italian’s backhand as well as continuing to find consistency on the serve and his baseline game. This is a huge match for Murray as he knows a win puts him in a great position to be seeded for Wimbledon.
Prediction: Murray in three sets.
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