Berrettini saves two match points to beat Nakashima, first win in Paris

Matteo Berrettini finally has a win at the Rolex Paris Masters. The Italian saved two match points in a deciding-set tie-break and beat 14th seed Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8) on Court 2 on Tuesday, closing out the breaker 10-8.

The victory carries a neat statistical footnote. Paris was the only Masters 1000 event at which Berrettini, ranked No. 43, had never won a match. He had lost in the first round in each of his three previous appearances. With this result, he has now won at least one main-draw match at every tournament in the series.

Serve carries the Italian through

Berrettini's serve was the foundation of the win. Sky Sport Italia reported that he won 88 per cent of points behind his first delivery, and each player was broken only once across the three sets. Berrettini took the opener 6-4 before Nakashima, ranked 18th, broke in the eighth game of the second set and levelled the match by taking it 6-3.

The decider was decided by the finest of margins. Nakashima had two match points in the tie-break, but Berrettini saved both and converted his own chance to win it 10-8. It was also a measure of revenge for Berrettini: Nakashima had beaten Berrettini 7-6, 7-5 in Shanghai in October, while Berrettini had won their first meeting at the 2022 Australian Open. The Italian now leads their rivalry 2-1.

Humbert awaits in round two

The reward is a second-round meeting on Wednesday with Ugo Humbert, the 2024 Paris runner-up, who ended a losing run on Monday night by beating Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. According to Italian media, Berrettini leads that head-to-head 3-1, though Humbert won their most recent encounter in Stockholm last year. The French left-hander will have the crowd firmly behind him.

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Berrettini has found some form late in the season, reaching the quarter-finals in Vienna last week. For Nakashima, who had been chasing an eighth different Masters 1000 event with a main-draw win, it is a painful early exit after holding two chances to close the match. The American had already beaten Berrettini once this autumn and came into the contest as the higher-ranked player and the seed.

Elsewhere on Tuesday

Berrettini's result came on a busy opening session in Paris. Learner Tien, the 15th seed, held off lucky loser Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 in two hours and 22 minutes to set up a clash with Luca Van Assche, while Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat Basel champion Valentin Vacherot 6-7, 7-5, 6-1. Tien had lost to Vallejo 6-4, 6-3 in Madrid earlier this season and needs to reach at least the third round to protect his top-20 ranking.

Berrettini is one of three Italians still alive in the draw. Lorenzo Musetti, who beat Hubert Hurkacz on Monday, faces Alexander Zverev next, while Mattia Bellucci takes on Arthur Rinderknech.