Dejected holder Matteo Berrettini suffered through a bitter return to tennis on Monday as a return from injury went wrong in Stuttgart with a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Lorenzo Sonego.
Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up and two-time champion here, was a shadow of himself as he went through the motions while possibly feeling the effects of his abdominal muscle problem.
The burly Roman lost to good friend Sonego in just 70 minutes, his serve broken four times.
Sonego lost to his fellow Italian here a year ago in the quarter-finals, with Berrettini going on to win the title over Andy Murray in the final before also capturing honours at Queen’s a week later.
He was unable to play at Wimbledon after testing positive for COVID.
Sonego was stunned by his one-way victory to reach the second round at the Weissenhof club.
“It’s tough, I’m not happy., He’s my best friend on the Tour,” the No. 41 said.
“It was tough to see him like that, I hope the bet for him in the next tournament,
The winner wrapped up on his first match point as Berrettini’s body language suggested some kind of serious worry.
“I played my best tennis, this is my first match of the season on grass,” Sonego said. “I played well and I’m really happy for that.
“I was focused on my tennis, but I had a lot of thoughts on my mind. I’m happy to reach the the second round.”
The win was the first for Sonego in four matches against his compatriot. Berrettini suffered his first Stuttgart loss in 10 matches.
Main photo:-Matteo Berrettini in semi-final match London Wimbledon Championships 2021 by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos
