Love of tennis behind revival of injury-plagued Berrettini

ByBobbie Jackson

BBC Sport Journalist

A beaming Matteo Berrettini said tennis is the "love of my life" aft reaching a Grand Slam quarter-final for the archetypal clip successful astir 4 years.

Berrettini bushed Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (8-6) to acceptable up a French Open last-eight necktie against Frances Tiafoe oregon Matteo Arnaldi.

The Italian reached a career-high satellite fig six successful 2022 but has slipped to 105th successful the rankings aft being plagued by injuries and fittingness problems.

"[Tennis] is the emotion of my life, if it wasn't I wouldn't beryllium here," Berrettini said.

"After each the setbacks, each the injuries, each the atrocious moments, I came backmost erstwhile again.

"There were moments wherever it was truly pugnacious to travel backmost and play, due to the fact that I wasn't acceptable and I wasn't definite astir my assurance - present I consciousness great."

Berrettini is the lowest-ranked Roland Garros quarter-finalist since Igor Andreev successful 2007.

Berrettini mislaid to Novak Djokovic successful the 2021 Wimbledon last and was beaten successful the Australian Open semi-finals the pursuing January.

His past Grand Slam quarter-final quality was astatine the 2022 US Open, and helium has missed six of the pursuing 13 majors done injury.

"There are truthful galore players who are playing unbelievable tennis," said Berrettini.

"Tennis is unpredictable. The tract is beauteous packed and I'm trying to springiness my best, I'm focusing connected my crippled and I privation to bask this win."

Berrettini came done the longest lucifer of his vocation successful the erstwhile circular - redeeming 2 lucifer points to triumph successful 5 hours and 16 minutes - to awesome wounded issues mightiness beryllium a happening of the past.

The 30-year-old showed nary hangover from that show during his brushwood with Cerundolo, arsenic helium raced done the opening acceptable and came done a tie-break successful the second.

Cerundolo threatened a fightback successful the 3rd erstwhile breaking for a 3-2 pb but Berrettini struck backmost for 5-5 and saved 3 lucifer points earlier winning the tie-break.

Felix Auger-Aliassime, a two-time US Open semi-finalist, utilized his acquisition to travel done a perchance tricky necktie against Alejandro Tabilo 6-3 7-5 6-1.

In theory, Chile's Tablio should person been the fresher of the competitors, having spent astir six hours little connected tribunal past week aft being handed a walkover successful circular two.

Canada's Auger-Aliassime started strongly, though, breaking astatine 3-1 earlier the remainder of the opening acceptable stayed connected serve.

Tabilo had ne'er antecedently gone beyond the 3rd circular astatine a Slam but raised his level successful the second.

The 28-year-old, who celebrates his day connected Tuesday, played aggressively from the baseline and it astir paid dividends arsenic helium looked to interruption for 5-4.

But Auger-Aliassime raised his level to interruption for a 6-5 pb and served retired the acceptable to instrumentality afloat control.

Tabilo wilted successful the 3rd and was breached 3 times arsenic his hopes of a archetypal large quarter-final spot were ended.

"Since I was 12 oregon 13 it has ever been a imagination for maine to get this far," Auger-Aliassime said.

"I americium a French-speaking feline - I tin accidental I americium very, precise blessed to get your enactment and I anticipation I volition person your enactment until the end."

Fourth effect Auger-Aliassime volition look 10th effect Flavio Cobolli for a spot successful the semi-finals aft the Italian bushed Zachary Svajda 6-2 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-5).

Cobolli looked connected people for a regular triumph aft wrapping up the opening 2 sets successful 1 hr and 25 minutes - breaking doubly successful each.

Svajda, 23, yet recovered immoderate bushed successful the 3rd and came done a tie-break to get a foothold successful the match.

Cobolli instantly wrestled backmost power successful the fourth, racing into a 4-0 lead, but Svajda - who had ne'er antecedently gone beyond the 2nd circular of a Grand Slam - refused to springiness up.

The American fought backmost from 5-1 down, breaking doubly and redeeming lucifer point, to unit different tie-break, but Cobolli yet got implicit the enactment to scope conscionable his 2nd Grand Slam quarter-final.

"The lone happening that I understood contiguous is that the lucifer is ne'er done," Cobolli said.