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Tennis fans have expressed their disappointment over Matteo Berrettini's defeat at the hands of Alexander Shevchenko 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the 2023 Arizona Tennis Classic quarterfinals. This loss marked the conclusion of all the top players' campaigns in the tournament.
After suffering a disappointing loss in his opening-round match at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Berrettini accepted a wildcard to the ATP Challenger event held in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. This wasn't Berrettini's first time competing in Arizona as he was, in fact, the inaugural champion at the event back in 2019.
Several notable players also received a main draw wildcard for the Phoenix tournament, including the likes of Diego Schwartzman and Gael Monfils. Four other top 50 players participating in the Arizona Tennis Classic were: Richard Gasquet, Alexander Bublik, Jiri Lehecka, and Marc-Andrea Huesler. Unfortunately, all these players were defeated and eliminated earlier from the tournament than expected.
Several tennis enthusiasts expressed their discontent with the outcome of the Italian's match, while others were taken aback by Matteo Berrettini's defeat to a qualifier. One fan even raised the question as to what would have happened if such below-par results were produced by female players.
"Okay now imagine if that happened in wta," they wrote.
Another tennis enthusiast found Berrettini's loss in the quarterfinals particularly amusing as it led to the semifinals featuring two qualifiers and an alternate despite starting with such a packed field.
"2 qualifiers and 1 alternate on that SF making the result much much funnier," they tweeted.
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
Shevchenko went on to defeat Quentin Halys 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals and will now take on Nuno Borges in the final.
Matteo Berrettini’s 2023 season off to a shaky start
Matteo Berrettini has struggled to find his footing in the new season after a lackluster performance in 2022. The former World No. 6 has only managed to secure eight wins while suffering six losses in the 2023 season.
Berrettini began his campaign at the United Cup on a positive start, securing three consecutive wins and only suffering two losses for Team Italy. However, his luck took a turn for the worse at the Australian Open, where he was defending his semifinal appearance from the previous year.
Unfortunately, the 26-year old experienced an early exit from the tournament after losing in the opening round to a resurgent Andy Murray. Despite having a match point, Berrettini was unable to convert it, resulting in his defeat.
The 26-year old made a comeback at the 2023 Mexican Open in Acapulco. After reaching the quarterfinals, Berrettini was forced to retire mid-match against Holger Rune due to a supposed calf injury. His next performance in Indian Wells was lackluster as well, and he was eliminated in the Round of 64 by Japan's Taro Daniel.
Matteo Berrettini will now hope to regain his footing at the upcoming 2023 Miami Open.
