AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 15, 2021

Matteo Berrettini

Flash Interview

S. TSITSIPAS/M. Berrettini

W/O

Q. Matteo, after a great tournament to get to this point, maybe you can explain to everybody what's happened for you here tonight.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I mean, I'm really sorry to say that I got injured in the last match that I played. I felt something on my ab. I thought that wasn't something really big, but the next day when I woke up I felt it was big. So I spoke to the doctors and they told me, look, I can get really worse, so it's not worth the try.

Obviously I'm not 100%. So to beat these guys, like, you have to be 100%. I think it's not really professional to step in when you're not the best.

Q. Absolutely. Disappointment for you because you have been playing some great tennis since you have been down here this summer?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I was really feeling well, not just obviously tennis-wise but everything else on my mindset. The ATP Cup was great. The first three rounds I was playing really good, so enjoy atmosphere, even though experienced the lockdown, as well. But nothing. It's just bad luck, yeah.

Q. We are seeing the pictures there in your last match against Karen Khachanov, where you were grabbing. Stomach is the worst sort of injury that you can get because it affects so much, particularly your serve, forehand, and everything involved.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, yeah, I was feeling it, especially on my second serve. I don't know why, what's the explanation, but I was feeling a lot some forehands on the return and the backhand so at the end of my game. And I couldn't play. I really tried hard, but unfortunately I'm not able to play tonight.

Q. We wish you a speedy recovery. Congratulations on what has been a good summer. Disappointment tonight, but hopefully can take that good form into the rest of the season.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, that's what I try to do. Thank you very much.