US OPEN

September 5, 2020

Matteo Berrettini

Press Conference

M. BERRETTINI/C. Ruud

6-4, 6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Did you hear Giovanni Bartocci outside of Court 17 screaming your name?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, but I think nobody didn't hear him (smiling). Was really loud today. I think louder than the other days.

Q. Where have you been going to eat now that his place burned down?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: In the bubble. I'm ordering food from Uber Eats or these kind of apps, having sometimes, how you call it, room service.

I'm really sorry, no, of course because I can't go there for the virus, but I'm really sorry for this guy, because his restaurant was everything for him.

So after, with Dan last year together I was going there every night after my match. And I'm really sorry, because he got a little bit bad luck twice for the, I mean, for the fire and for the virus.

So I'm really looking forward to try to help him maybe a little bit. I don't know what we can do. He's struggling. I don't know if he's going to come back in Italy, but I'm really thankful that he's here. He's enjoying a little bit different this year. But he's a nice guy.

So last year he came also in London when I played the Finals. So when I can I like to have him by my side. Hopefully next years, next months he's going to be able to travel again and he's going to follow me.

Q. You'll have to be on Court 17 again, then?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I don't know if the tournament is going to agree with that. Fourth round there. I don't know. I don't know. But why not? Would be great. Would be nice to hear him.

I played on Armstrong the first round, and he couldn't be there, but he's with me all the time. Like my team, the rest of my team, the rest of my family, my fans. They are following, they are watching a TV, so we have to adjust.

Also you guys there. Last year you were here. So we have to adjust. We have to wait a little bit more, and hopefully next year we're going to have a nice dinner here on-site and we're going to enjoy the tour again, the real trips again.

Q. A rematch with Andrey Rublev next round, same as last year, same stage. I'm wondering, what do you think makes Rublev special? What do you think is special about him or his game?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I mean, it's going to be a rematch, same round. Like we said, different conditions, different US Open, but I think we are two different players now.

We improved a lot, both. I think he started the year like crazy, he won two tournaments in a row. He achieved so much. He's been, like, improving every day, every week.

It's going to be really tough. I think he has great weapons. He's serving well. Forehand and backhand, they are great, like, weapons. Same time, he's moving good. He can play on clay, on grass, on hard.

I mean, he already did, I think, once the quarterfinal here, so for sure he likes to play here in New York. Like I said, we know each other pretty well. It's going to be tough, because we know each other really well.

But at the same time, we're going to find, like, new weapons, new ways to get the other one in trouble.