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Matteo Berrettini Outlasts Frances Tiafoe in Vienna Open

Matteo Berrettini defeated Frances Tiafoe in a three-hour match at the Vienna Open.
Pat Benson|
Matteo Berrettini defeated Frances Tiafoe in a three-set match at the Vienna Open.
Matteo Berrettini defeated Frances Tiafoe in a three-set match at the Vienna Open. | Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Each match of the Vienna Open (Erste Bank Open) continues to get better. Wednesday afternoon treated fans to a highly anticipated second-round match between Frances Tiafoe and Matteo Berrettini.

Entering today, Tiafoe and Berrettini had split their two prior matchups. However, their third meeting was by far their best yet. Berrettini won a thrilling three-hour match that went the distance of three sets: 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3.

While Tiafoe did not have any more umpire drama, he kept fans in the stands and on social media captivated. Tiafoe called timeout in the second set and briefly met with a physio. The 26-year-old was given some tablets and quickly returned to the court without much treatment.

After Tiafoe returned, he narrowly forced a third match. The match got so intense that Tiafoe threw down his racquet after an amazing shot by Berrettini. Once again, Tiafoe fell behind in the third set and tried to make a comeback. However, he was unable to come all the way back from the 5-2 deficit.

In the end, Berrettini had 52 winners to Tiafoe's 26 and 39 unforced errors to Tiafoe's 20. Berretteni pulled off the narrow victory and is onto the quarterfinals, where he will play the winner of Brandon Nakashima and Karen Khachanov on Friday, October 25.

Tiafoe is currently the ATP World No. 15 with a season record of 33-25. Meanwhile, Berretteni is the World No. 41 with a record of 30-10 this season.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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