Berrettini stuns Djokovic as Medvedev, Rublev advance

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February 19, 2025
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19-February-2025

Berrettini stuns Djokovic as Medvedev, Rublev advance

DOHA - Crowd favourite and Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic of Serbia on Tuesday fell at the first hurdle when he was beaten by Matteo Berrettini of Italy in straight sets on day two of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.

Berrettini, who lost the 2021 Wimbledon final to Djokovic, on Tuesday looked a better player as he won 7-6, 6-2 to book his place in Round Two of the 32-player tournament.

Also on Tuesday, Russian players Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev - both former champions in Doha - posted easy wins to advance at the 500-point event.

Medvedev beat defending champion and compatriot Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Fifth seed Rublev, the 2020 champion, on Tuesday eased past Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-4.

Djokovic, playing his first match since pulling out of the Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev last month, on Tuesday stretched the game in the first set but once the Serbian fell short in the tie-breaker, Berrettini rolled on to sweep the two-time Qatar Open champion in 1 hour and 34 minutes.

A long return on the second match point from Djokovic saw a jubilant Berrettini celebrate with a big smile as a packed Centre Court at the Khalifa International Tennis Stadium looked stunned.

“Something I’ve been looking to do for a long time. I’ve played against him in the most important tournaments on tour,” Berrettini, with a wide grin on his face, said after his hard-fought win.

“I wish I could have won one of those matches,” the 28-year-old Italian added.

“Really happy with my performance,” Berrettini, who wears his cap backwards, said. “Really happy because I enjoyed my time out there, which is the most important thing. A champion like Novak is always ready to come back. You don’t have to think about match point. You have to think about the next point, and that’s what I did,” he added.

The opening set remained tight, with neither player breaking serve, ultimately leading to a tiebreak which Berrettini won, conceding just two points on Djokovic’s serve.

Berrettini then seized an early advantage in the second set, breaking Djokovic’s serve in game two.

The Italian held his serve comfortably throughout the second set. He eventually secured the match on his second match point, though not without some late pressure in the final game. Berrettini fired 13 aces compared to Djokovic’s 9.

Medvedev’s win over Khachanov on Tuesday was his first over a top-30 player this season. Champion in Doha in 2023, Medvedev is still trying to end a title drought that dates back to the 2023 Rome Masters.

“I thought about this before the match (that) he’s the defending champion, but I won it two years ago and didn’t come back, so (it was) kind of a battle of defending champions,” Medvedev said after the match.

“(It was a) tough match, tough start. I think he was playing better than me at one point in the match. Then it was kind of even, and I managed to win the second set. And then in the third set I played better. I am happy that I managed to improve my level during the match, and I think the third set was really great for me, so I am looking forward to the next matches,” he added.

Also on Tuesday, Australia’s Alex de Minaur beat Roman Safiullin of Russia 6-1, 7-5 just a day after his 25th birthday.

“They’re tough days, these ones,” De Minaur said on Tuesday. “It’s cold, it’s windy, you probably don’t want to get out of bed. But once you step on court, you have to do everything you can to win. Whether it’s ugly or pretty tennis, you just put the ball in the court, and that’s what I did today. Out went any sort of tactics you had for the match and it was all about surviving more than anything,” he added.

Djokovic, who is playing doubles in Doha with Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco, on Tuesday said: “My plan is to try to go as far as I can in doubles, you know. I’m still in the doubles tournament tomorrow with Verdasco, and I look forward to that. So, I’ll stay in Doha at least for one more match, and then we will see.”

He added: “I mean, yeah, obviously I was planning to go to Indian Wells and Miami, so I’ll talk with my team after I finish with this tournament.”