The world #1 Carlos Alcaraz aims to continue his charge towards Wimbledon glory against 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini.
Wimbledon this year keeps delivering extraordinary matchups, and this evening's fourth round match between Carlos Alcaraz and Matteo Berrettini will be no exception.
Many people believed that Carlos Alcaraz's style may not suit the grass of Wimbledon, but following victory at Queen's earlier this year, he proved that he has what it takes.
In Alcaraz's path now lies a grass court specialist, who was only one match away from Wimbledon glory two years ago.
It has been a tough year for Matteo Berrettini. After missing last year's Wimbledon, due to contracting Covid on the eve of the tournament, Berrettini went on a run of dismal injury luck, which saw him miss the French Open and fall in the first round of the Australian Open.
Many people had forgotten about the Italian's skill on grass, but during Wimbledon 2023 he has firmly reminded us that he is one of the best grass court players on the planet.
Berrettini hasn't been broken yet in the tournament and has hit 45 aces in three matches. His victims have all been high ranking players, including Lorenzo Sonego, Alex De Minaur and Alexander Zverez.
It is easy to forget that Berrettini's last loss at Wimbledon came against Djokovic in the men's final. Alcaraz will have his hands full.
The key for Alcaraz will be his ability to deal with the Berrettini serve, which often clocks over 130mph. Once Alcaraz is able to extend the rallies, the match swings hugely in his favour.
Berrettini has a renowned weakness to his backhand, often choosing to hit a slice, or run around it and hit a monster forehand. Alcaraz may look to take advantage of this by targeting Berrettini's backhand and opening up the court.
Alcaraz's grass court game has hugely improved since last year, as he has shown adeptness at the net and across all areas of the court.
However, it is worth noting that Alcaraz looked to be struggling slightly with the big serving Nicolas Jarry in the third round, if he is unable to deal effectively with Berrettini's serve then he may struggle.
The pair have played each other three times, with Alcaraz triumphing twice, but Berrettini winning their only meeting at a Grand Slam. In all their meetings, the match has gone to a deciding set every time.
Overall, it remains an intriguing matchup. But I believe that Berrettini has enough power to upset Alcaraz when they step onto Centre Court later today.
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