Unseeded Argentine Mariano Navone kept his dream US Open campaign alive on Wednesday night, defeating Italy's Matteo Berrettini 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) in a gruelling second-round encounter on Court 12 at Flushing Meadows.
Three days after shocking the tennis world by eliminating 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the first round, the 25-year-old clay-court specialist proved his breakthrough was no one-off. Against Berrettini, a former Wimbledon finalist ranked 43rd in the world, Navone showed composure and resilience to overturn a slow start and book a third-round meeting with compatriot Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
A Slow Start, a Strong Finish
Berrettini came out firing, using his thunderous serve to dominate the opening set. The Italian fired 15 aces across the match, winning the first set 6-3 with authority. Navone managed just five aces of his own and struggled with his first-serve percentage early, landing only 57% of first deliveries in the opening stages.
But the Argentine adjusted. He began returning with greater depth, forced Berrettini into uncomfortable rallies, and levelled the match by taking the second set 6-3. The momentum shifted decisively in the third set, which Navone claimed 6-4 after breaking Berrettini at a crucial moment.
Tiebreak Drama
The fourth set produced the match's most absorbing passage. Navone established a break of serve and appeared set to close out the match in straight sets from that point. But Berrettini, drawing on his Grand Slam experience, fought back to force a tiebreak.
In the breaker, Navone lost the first point before rattling off six consecutive to establish five match points. Berrettini saved three with characteristic fight, but Navone converted at the fourth opportunity to seal victory after three hours and 29 minutes.
The statistics told the story of Navone's improvement as the match progressed. By the end, his first-serve percentage had risen to 70%, compared to Berrettini's 61%. More impressively, Navone won 69% of his second-serve points, far outpacing Berrettini's 53%. He saved seven of nine break points and converted three of seven opportunities.
From Clay Courts to Flushing Meadows
Navone's run is all the more remarkable given his background. A player who grew up competing almost exclusively on clay courts in Argentina, he only began playing regularly on hard courts in recent years. His performances in New York suggest a significant evolution in his game.
The victory sets up an all-Argentine third-round clash with Etcheverry, who defeated Britain's Jacob Fearnley 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 earlier in the day. The winner will advance to the round of 16, guaranteeing Argentina at least one representative in the second week of the year's final Grand Slam.
For Berrettini, the defeat brings an early end to what had been an encouraging US Open campaign. The Italian had started strongly with a first-round victory over Stan Wawrinka but could not contain Navone's relentless baseline game over the course of a long evening match.
Sources
- https://www.tennisitaliano.it/us-open-navone-non-si-ferma-piu-sconfitto-anche-berrettini-alcaraz-avanti-con-fiducia/
- https://www.india.com/sports/others/watch-novak-djokovic-conqueror-mariano-navone-continues-dream-run-at-us-open-2026-with-win-in-second-round-over-matteo-berrettini-8516112/
- https://www.themirror.com/sport/tennis/navone-john-mcenroe-us-open-2009594
