Daniil Medvedev vented on his racquet after suffering the first career 6-0, 6-0 loss to Matteo Berrettini in Monte Carlo, Yankee Scores reports.
Medvedev, known for his temper, has always disliked playing on clay courts, even going as far as saying that it is “a surface for losers.” But he produced one of the worst second-round matches, losing in just 49 minutes against world No. 90 Berrettini.
Stats Tell the Tale of the “Double Bagel”
Medvedev, who considers himself like “a dog in the dirt” on the clay, found no more than two points in the final 11 games to suffer a double bagel defeat. World No. 10 made 28 unforced errors, five double faults, and won four of 21 second-serve points.
Medvedev is famous for having fits and rants during matches, which have often led him to lose concentration and momentum. For instance, he threw a racket at a spectator at the French Open in 2020, and his antics got out of hand last year at the US Open when a photographer stepped onto the court in the middle of a match. In an amusing move later, Berrettini wrote “scusa Carlo” on the camera lens, referring to Italian movie star Carlo Verdone, who declared Medvedev his favorite player this week.
Berrettini’s Comeback Gains Momentum
Matteo Berrettini, a wildcard in the tournament and last year’s Wimbledon finalist who has been trying to rebuild his ranking after a long spell away from the game due to injuries, considered it “one of the best performances of my life.” “I think I missed three shots in the entire match,” the 29-year-old added. “I think the game plan was perfect and my weapons were working.”
Berrettini, a former top-six player, faces off Brazilian youngster Joao Fonseca in his next match.
Elsewhere, world No. 15 Andrey Rublev suffered a shock early exit, losing 6-4, 6-1 against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs.
