Matteo Berrettini earned his second Swiss Open title on Sunday with a commanding straight-sets victory over Quentin Halys.
It took just 59 minutes for the Italian to dispatch the qualifier 6-3 6-1 in Gstaad for his ninth ATP Tour title.
The players were evenly matched through the opening six games, but Berrettini got a vital break in the seventh to swing momentum in his favour just before play was suspended due to rain.
When play was resumed half an hour later, Berrettini, who was 5-3 up, wasted no time regaining control, winning the next six games in a row.
Halys stopped himself from being on the wrong end of a bagel scoreline as he held off the former world number six in the penultimate game, but all he did was hold off the inevitable.
Data Debrief: Berrettini reenters winner's circle
Berrettini lifted his second Tour title of the year, winning in Gstaad for the first time since 2018, having lost in his last final appearance in 2022.
He did not give Halys a sniff - he won nine games in a row to put himself out of reach, while also winning 33 of his 37 service points (89%) and getting four breaks.
Matteo Berrettini is through to his third Swiss Open final following an impressive straight-sets victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The 2018 champion - and 2022 runner-up - prevailed 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 after one hour and 42 minutes to set up a championship showdown with Quentin Halys in Gstaad.
Berrettini had lost all five of his previous meetings with top seed Tsitsipas, but dropped just one point on serve during the opening set, which he eventually snatched in a tie-break.
The Greek was seeking his third ATP final of the season on clay, having triumphed in Monte-Carlo and been runner-up to Casper Ruud in Barcelona.
However, he just could not shake off the Italian, who crucially broke in game 11 of the second set before holding for victory.
He will contest Sunday's championship match with Frenchman Halys, who saw off fifth seed Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets.
Data Debrief: Big-serving Berrettini stuns Tsitsipas
The statistics certainly favoured Tsitsipas, who was 14-1 against Italian opponents on clay and 29-2 against players ranked outside the top 50 on surface since the start of the 2021 season.
However, Berrettini had other ideas. The former Wimbledon finalist, who was 1-6 against top-15 opponents on clay, won 92% of his first-serve points.
And while Tsitsipas double-faulted on four occasions, Berrettini stood firm and is now an impressive 12-1 in Gstaad.
Stefanos Tsitsipas will play Matteo Berrettini in the Swiss Open semi-finals, after seeing off Fabio Fognini in straight sets on Friday.
The two-time major finalist, who is making his first appearance in Gstaad, took 66 minutes to wrap up a 6-4 6-3 victory over the Italian on Roy Emerson Court.
Though he relinquished an early break in the opening set, Tsitsipas claimed a crucial one at 5-4 to edge his nose in front.
Despite seeing another early break cancelled out in the second set, the Greek managed to earn another, and eventually progressed to the last four in comfortable fashion.
"My returns worked pretty well, I was very consistent with them," he said. "I insisted on staying back throughout the match and giving it a bit of a loop, trying to get the angles from the very beginning. It worked pretty well.
"I'm happy with how I started serving towards the end of the match. In the beginning, I was still trying to figure out how I was going to open up the court and create opportunities on my serve. It took me a while to figure out. I unlocked the code towards the end."
Another Italian lies in wait for Tsitsipas in Berrettini, who overcame Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-2).
The former Wimbledon finalist is seeking his second clay-court title of the season, having also triumphed in Marrakech, while he was runner-up to Jack Draper in Stuttgart last month.
Data Debrief: Another Italian Job well done by Tsitsipas
Reigning Monte-Carlo Masters champion Tsitsipas is through to his fourth ATP semi-final of the season, with three of those coming on clay, while recording his fifth straight victory in as many meetings with Fognini.
The Greek now boasts an impressive 14-1 record against Italian opponents on surface - his only such defeat coming against Jannik Sinner in Rome four years ago.
Jannik Sinner battled his way into the Wimbledon third round after overcoming Matteo Berrettini in an all-Italian classic on Wednesday.
Centre Court was treated to a hard-fought spectacle between the pair as the world number one triumphed 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 7-6 (7-4).
The victory marked somewhat of a changing of the guard between the Italian duo, with Sinner rising to the top after a fine year that has also brought Australian Open glory.
Berrettini is no stranger to the SW19 stage, reaching the final of the grass-court major in 2021 and taking the first set before falling to Novak Djokovic, and proved a tough opponent for Sinner in an enthralling clash.
The 14-time ATP Tour champion struggled to assert his dominance early on, failing to snatch a set point in the first before eventually triumphing in a tie-breaker with a thumping backhand.
Sinner repeated the same dose in the second set, trading breaks to leave the clash level at 4-4 before the top seed's forehand exposed Berrettini in another tie-break decider.
Berrettini responded by breaking twice to take a 4-1 lead in the third, though, striking back to halve the arrears and offering his countryman a stark reminder of his quality on this surface.
The pair once again exchanged a break apiece in the fourth set before Sinner squandered a glorious match-point chance when 6-5 ahead.
Yet, as was the case in the first two sets, Berrettini skewed a forehand into the net as Sinner sealed victory on his third match point with another tie-break success, just before the curfew at Wimbledon.
Data Debrief: Super Sinner downs another Italian
Sinner, who reached the semi-finals at this tournament last year, is now 14-0 against fellow Italians.
The 22-year-old is just the third player in the Open Era to win his first 14 ATP matches against compatriots, after Australia's Bob Hewitt and Argentina's Guillermo Vilas.
Sinner hit 32 winners and committed 25 unforced errors en route to his 40th tour-level win of the season, teeing up a third-round meeting with Miomir Kecmanovic, who overcame Tallon Griekspoor.
Jannik Sinner made a winning start to his quest for Wimbledon glory, seeing off Yannick Hanfmann 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-3 on No.1 Court.
The new world number one is the first Italian to be the top seed in the men's singles event at SW19, and is fresh from landing his maiden ATP title on grass in Halle last time out.
Two break points were enough to put Sinner two sets to the good against Hanfmann, who was seeking his first victory in three main-draw appearances at Wimbledon.
The German responded in the third set to halve the deficit, but his opponent was not to be denied as he sealed the win in just under three hours.
Up next for Sinner is a mouth-watering all-Italian second-round clash against former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini, who won 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 3-6 6-1 against Marton Fucsovics to progress.
Earlier in the day on the same court as Sinner, fifth seed Daniil Medvedev moved safely into the second round.
Despite some difficult preparation for the tournament, Medvedev defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-3 6-4 6-2 in just one hour and 47 minutes, firing down 16 aces and not being broken throughout the contest.
Data Debrief: Sinner picks up the baton
Sinner hit 16 aces and 47 winners to 30 unforced errors, while converting four out of five break points as he saw off world number 110 Hanfmann.
In his first major outing since officially becoming world number one, he extended the Wimbledon winning streak of players atop of the ATP rankings to 22 matches.
The last such defeat came exactly 2,178 days ago, when Rafael Nadal was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the 2018 semi-finals.
Earlier on, Medvedev overcame Kovacevic to claim his 230th ATP match win since the start of the 2020 season - the most of any player during this decade, and six clear of nearest challenger Andrey Rublev (224).
Jack Draper won his first ATP Tour title by fighting back to beat Matteo Berrettini in the BOSS Open final in Stuttgart, ahead of becoming British number one for the first time on Monday.
Draper had already ensured he will become Britain's top player in the ATP rankings by reaching the showpiece match in Germany with back-to-back wins over Americans Francis Tiafoe and Brandon Nakashima.
Former Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini took Sunday's opener in just 33 minutes, but Draper fought back in a near-hour-long second set as the momentum shifted.
Draper failed to convert two set points at 5-4 and the first of two in the tiebreak, but he never looked back after levelling things up.
A break in the seventh game was enough to take the decider as Draper triumphed 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4, serving a huge ace – his 12th of the contest – on match point.
Data Debrief: Draper follows in Murray's footsteps
Draper will crack the world's top 30 after claiming his maiden title in his third ATP final, having previously lost to Adrian Mannarino at last year's Sofia Open and Jiri Lehecka at January's Adelaide Open.
He will also become his country's top male player at the age of 22 years and 269 days, making him the youngest British number one since Andy Murray in November 2009.
The new year’s first grand slam kicks off in Melbourne on Sunday.
The Australian Open has a new timetable and plenty of familiar faces returning to its blue courts.
Here, the PA news agency picks out five talking points.
Late nights a thing of the past?
For the first time, the tournament will mimic the French Open and start on a Sunday, becoming a 15-day event. Organisers insist the primary motivation is to prevent matches going on until the early hours, which has become routine, with fewer contests scheduled across the day on Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena. But there will still be two per night session and, with matches lasting ever longer, it seems unlikely to make a big difference.
Former champions return
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No fewer than three past winners at Melbourne Park were due to make their comebacks after long absences. An untimely muscle injury suffered on his return to action in Brisbane has unfortunately sidelined Rafael Nadal, who has not played in a grand slam since sustaining a hip problem in Melbourne 12 months ago. But two-time champion Naomi Osaka returns following the birth of daughter Shai last summer with an apparent renewed hunger for life on tour while 2016 winner Angelique Kerber is another new mother back for more.
Raducanu revitalised
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Could Emma Raducanu’s eight-month break following surgery on both wrists and one ankle turn out to be the making of her? Stepping out of the whirlwind that engulfed following her 2021 US Open win has given the 21-year-old the chance for a fresh start and will hopefully allow her to establish a more solid base. She has turned to childhood coach Nick Cavaday for guidance but continues to travel without a full-time physio or fitness trainer. She gave a reminder of her talent in an encouraging first tournament back in Auckland last week but the major question mark remains whether her body can hold up to the rigours of the professional game.
Last hurrah for Murray?
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Andy Murray conjured up two of his more memorable wins in Australia last year, seeing off Matteo Berrettini in five sets and then somehow fighting back to defeat Thanasi Kokkinakis at 4am. The Scot played at his best level since hip surgery in 2023 yet it was another season of frustration and near misses rather than the sort of achievements he craves. Murray cut a particularly unhappy figure at the end of the year and is openly talking about how long he has left. If this is the 36-year-old’s last appearance at Melbourne Park, hopefully it will be one to remember for the right reasons.
Swiatek v Sabalenka
The battle for supremacy in the women’s game rolls into a new year. Aryna Sabalenka is the defending champion having lifted her first grand slam title 12 months ago and she outperformed Iga Swiatek at the majors in 2023 by reaching two finals and two semi-finals. But the Pole reclaimed the world number one ranking with a dominant performance at the WTA Finals and remains the player to beat. Throw Coco Gauff into the mix, now a grand slam champion after defeating Sabalenka in New York, and an intriguing fortnight awaits.
Matteo Berrettini would have “signed with my blood” to have the Wimbledon run he is putting together.
The 2021 finalist has been struggling with a recurring abdominal problem that forced him to miss the defence of his Queen’s Club title but is through to the fourth round after convincing victories over Alex De Minaur and Alexander Zverev.
Berrettini, who was forced out of Wimbledon last year by Covid, said on court after his third-round victory that he had spent many days crying in his bed as he fought to get healthy again.
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“If they told me a few weeks ago you’re going to play five days in a row in Wimbledon, I would have signed with my blood,” the Italian said later.
“I really spent days in bed thinking about the tournaments that I missed, the injuries that I had, sadness that I was feeling. I was like, ‘I have to come back and feel alive when I play’.
“That’s the energy I have right now. It doesn’t matter how tired I am. In the morning, go there, enjoy. I find that extra energy that maybe a few years ago I took for granted.”
Berrettini is unseeded with his ranking having dropped to 38 and he revealed he arrived in London with serious fears he may have to miss Wimbledon for a second year in a row.
“I wasn’t sure even if I was going to play,” he said. “I flew here and I said maybe the atmosphere is going to help me a little bit.
“I was really not sure about it. Not because I didn’t want to. In order to play a slam, you have to be ready physically, emotionally, mentally. There are many things.
“The will is not enough. But then I have to say I did a great job with my team. We worked really hard. They let me decide. A few days before, I thought, ‘I’m not ready’.
“But then I missed too many events in the last years. I couldn’t leave this place without trying. That’s what I said to myself. I think this place has something special. I feel a kind of energy I don’t feel anywhere else.”
Berrettini is one of the best grass-court players in the draw and he will next try to upset top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who is yet to go beyond the fourth round at the All England Club.
The Italian, who beat Alcaraz over five sets at the Australian Open last year, is looking forward to the challenge, saying: “In a way it’s what you want, right? You want to play against the best players in the world.
“Playing against Carlos, it’s always been a pleasure, a great fight. He’s the best player in the world. It’s going to be a great challenge. But I’m so glad that I have this opportunity right now.
“I remember watching him play at Roland Garros from my TV. Now it’s going to be me against him. I’m really happy for that. I think this is going to help me to go there and enjoy and find that extra energy that I was talking about.”
Zverev certainly would not be surprised to see Berrettini come out on top, with the German saying: “I told him that he can win the tournament if he plays like this.
“Of course there are other players that are great. He’s playing Alcaraz next. I think he’s a great player as well. But, if he plays like this, he has chances against anybody.”
Defending champion Matteo Berrettini has withdrawn from next week’s cinch Championships at Queen’s due to an abdominal injury.
The 27-year-old Italian missed the clay court season due to a stomach muscle tear and lost 6-1 6-2 to Lorenzo Sonego last week on his return to action in Stuttgart.
Berrettini joined an elite group of players last summer when beating Filip Krajinovic in the cinch Championships final to become one of eight players in the open era to successfully retain the Queen’s Club crown.
The world number 21 was runner-up to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2021 – he withdrew last year after testing positive for Covid – and it remains to be seen if the Italian will be fit enough to compete at SW19 next month.
Top seed and world number two Carlos Alcaraz will make his debut at Queen’s and faces qualifier Arthur Fils in the opening round.
Alcaraz, 20, has limited experience on grass and will be hoping for an extended run in his bid to improve on his best result on the surface, which was in reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon last year.
Unseeded record five-time champion Andy Murray faces a tough opening match against Australian world number 18 Alex de Minaur.
The 36-year-old Scot heads to Queen’s in fine fettle after back-to-back ATP Challenger Tour titles on grass at Surbiton and Nottingham as he continues his build-up to Wimbledon.
British number one Cameron Norrie, Wimbledon semi-finalist last year and the fifth seed at Queen’s, will play Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in the opening round.
Second seed Holger Rune, beaten by Norway’s Casper Ruud in the French Open quarter-finals, will bid to win his first tour-level match on grass when he faces American Maxime Cressy.
American third seed Taylor Fritz, a two-time title-winner on grass after victories at Eastbourne in 2019 and 2022, will play Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the first round.
Hubert Hurkacz prevailed 6-7 (10-12) 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (8-6) in a thrilling three-and-a-half hour battle against Thanasi Kokkinakis during Saturday's second round of the Miami Open.
It was Hurkacz's first match of the tournament after the eighth seed received a bye through the first round, and he came up against a match-fit Kokkinakis after the Australian went three sets in his opening victory.
The world number nine had to save five Kokkinakis match points before sealing the win with his first chance, three hours and 34 minutes after the contest began.
Kokkinakis was not the only Australian on the day to go down in a gruelling three-setter as 15th seed Alex De Minaur fell 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-8) to Quentin Halys in three hours and 20 minutes.
It was far smoother sailing for fourth seed Daniil Medvedev in his 6-1 6-2 triumph over Roberto Carballes Baena, giving the Russian his first win since his 19-match unbeaten streak was ended at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells Open final.
The biggest upset of the day came from France's Gregoire Barrere as he eliminated 11th seed Cameron Norrie 6-3 6-2, before Adrian Mannarino ensured a great day for the French contingent with a 6-4 3-6 6-1 result against Ben Shelton in the late window.
Fifth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime needed a pair of tiebreakers to dispatch Brazil's Thiago Monteiro 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-8), while big-serving 19th seed Matteo Berrettini came out on the wrong side of some tiebreakers in his 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-5) loss to Mackenzie McDonald.
The skid from 18th seed Lorenzo Musetti continued as the 21-year-old went down 6-4 6-4 to Jiri Lehecka, giving the Italian seven losses from his past eight matches.
Karen Khachanov fought off the challenge of recent Chile Open finalist Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-1 3-6 6-3, and second seed Stefanos Tsisipas received a walkover as Richard Gasquet withdrew.
World number three Stefanos Tsitsipas has left the Indian Wells Masters without a win after a shock 7-6 (7-0) 4-6 7-6 (7-5) loss to Jordan Thompson on Friday.
Tsitsipas, the second seed with Novak Djokovic not present, received a bye through to the second round, and he showed some rust with three double faults in the opening set.
Thompson capitalised, with an incredible 21 winners to only two unforced errors in the first set, and he closed it out with 15 winners and four unforced errors in the deciding frame for the biggest win of his career.
The Australian will now meet Chile's Alejandro Tabilo in the third round after he upset 32nd seed Maxime Cressy in a gruelling 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (15-13) triumph.
Meanwhile, it was smooth sailing for third seed Casper Ruud in his 6-2 6-3 victory over Diego Schwartzman, and a similar story for fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in his 6-4 6-3 result against Brandon Nakashima.
Alexander Zverev, the 12th seed, had no issues in his 6-3 6-1 domination of Pedro Cachin in 77 minutes, and 13th seed Karen Khachanov also took exactly 77 minutes to see off Oscar Otte 6-3 6-3.
England's 10th seed Cameron Norrie breezed past Tung-lin Wu 6-2 6-4, while Italy's 20th seed Matteo Berrettini suffered an early 7-6 (7-5) 0-6 6-3 exit at the hands of Japan's Taro Daniel.
In the late window, after a lengthy weather delay, 14th seed Frances Tiafoe won his all-American showdown against Marcos Giron 6-2 6-2.
World number five Taylor Fritz showed why he is the highest seed still standing at the Mexican Open after a strong 6-3 6-4 win in Thursday's quarter-final.
Fritz, the third seed, faced sixth seed and world number 15 Frances Tiafoe, and did not allow a single break of serve en route to the 96-minute victory.
He will now face compatriot Tommy Paul in an all-American semi-final after the world number 23 prevailed 6-2 6-2 against Mackenzie McDonald.
The win was Paul's 10th from his past 12 matches, with one of those two losses coming against Novak Djokovic.
Australia's Alex De Minaur is through to the other semi-final after making light work of Japan's Taro Daniel 6-2 6-2 in a surprisingly one-sided contest, considering Daniel was coming off a victory over world number four Casper Ruud.
De Minaur will face Holger Rune after the 19-year-old capitalised on Matteo Berrettini not being at 100 per cent, jumping out to a perfect 6-0 1-0 start before the Italian retired hurt.
Meanwhile, Chile Open second seed Francisco Cerundolo missed out on a potential chance to face his younger brother after going down 6-3 3-6 6-3 against Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
He was one win away from doing his part to set up a quarter-final showdown with Juan Manuel Cerundolo, but the 21-year-old Argentine also did not hold up his end of the bargain, falling 6-2 2-6 7-6 (7-2) to Serbia's Dusan Lajovic.
Laslo Djere ensured it would be a good day for the Serbians with a 7-5 7-5 handling of Italy's Riccardo Bonadio, and he will face third seed Sebastian Baez in the quarter-final after he eliminated hometown hero Cristian Garin 6-4 6-3.
Cristian Garin enjoyed the hometown advantage during Tuesday's opening round of the Chile Open, defeating former world number three Dominic Thiem 6-2 7-6 (7-2).
Slotted into the primetime fixture, Santiago resident Garin did not let the locals down, securing a break in the first game of the match to set the tone.
The other Chilean hopeful in the field, Nicolas Jarry, kept up his terrific form to also book his place in the second round.
After making the semi-final of last week's Rio Open – where he took a set off world number two Carlos Alcaraz – Jarry beat Peru's Juan Pablo Varillas 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 for an 11th victory from his past 14 matches.
Fifth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas was the highest ranked player in action, and he went down 7-5 4-6 7-5 against Brazil's Thiago Monteiro, while sixth seed Laslo Djere had a better outing in his 6-3 6-2 victory over Joao Sousa.
Tomas Martin Etcheverry will meet second seed Francisco Cerundolo in an all-Argentine second round matchup after advancing past Italy's Fabio Fognini 6-1 7-6 (7-1).
Meanwhile, in Acapulco at the Mexican Open it was the Berrettini brothers stealing the headlines on a day where top hopes Carlos Alcaraz and Cameron Norrie both withdrew due to injuries.
World number 24 Matteo Berrettini won the first seven games of his match against Alex Molcan before the Slovak decided to retire at 6-0 1-0, and his younger brother Jacopo Berrettini capitalised on his qualifier status with a 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 2-1 (retired) comeback against Oscar Otte.
Australian eighth seed Alex De Minaur was the top seed in action and he discarded of Mexico's own 17-year-old qualifier Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez 6-1 6-2, while rising 21-year-old American Brandon Nakashima overcame Germany's Daniel Altmaier 6-3 3-6 6-1.
Andy Murray savoured a landmark win at the Australian Open as Tuesday's five-set triumph against Matteo Berrettini gave him a 50th career victory at Melbourne Park.
The world number 66, formerly an ATP rankings leader, slugged out a 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (10-6) success against 13th seed Berrettini, who reached the semi-finals last year.
It handed Berrettini a first opening-round exit at a grand slam since the 2019 Australian Open.
Murray said he "wouldn't expect to feel perfect" for his next match on Thursday, given the effort that went in over the four hours and 49 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
However, the 35-year-old, who will face Fabio Fognini or Thanasi Kokkinakis next, will want to be back to somewhere near full health for that tussle.
Last year in Australia, Murray beat 21st seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in another gruelling first-round five-set marathon, before losing tamely to Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel in his second match.
In all, Tuesday's scalp of Berrettini gave Murray his fourth five-set win at the Australian Open. The other two came in semi-finals, beating Roger Federer in 2013 and Milos Raonic three years later. He lost in the subsequent final both times to Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic has beaten Murray in four Australian Open finals, with the Briton also sunk by Roger Federer in the 2010 title match, meaning he has been runner-up five times and never come away with the trophy.
Federer has won the most men's singles matches in Australia, with 102 victories, landing six titles along the way. Djokovic, with nine, has the most titles.
A weary Murray said after finishing off Berrettini: "In the last few years, I've certainly questioned myself at times. There's certainly a lot of people who have questioned me and my ability, whether I could still perform at the biggest events and the biggest matches.
"I felt very proud of myself after the match. That's not something that I generally felt over the years at the end of the tennis matches.
"I was impressed with myself, which again is not something... I'm hard on myself usually."
Andy Murray pulled off a stunning victory over Matteo Berrettini at the Australian Open as the five-time runner-up enjoyed another big moment in Melbourne.
Unseeded this year, former world number one Murray survived a match point against him to take a first-round thriller against the Italian 13th seed.
Murray had not lost a grand slam match after winning the first two sets since a third-round clash against David Nalbandian at Wimbledon in 2005, his first grand slam main-draw appearance.
Yet he almost let such a lead slip away this time, before digging deep for a 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (10-6) victory, achieved in four hours and 49 minutes.
Five-time Australian Open runner-up Murray faced a daunting opener, but both men would have hoped for a kinder draw.
It seemed to be going firmly the 35-year-old Scot's way when he swept through the opening two sets, but back came Berrettini to level up, edging a tight fourth that could have gone either way.
Berrettini had the contest at his mercy at match point against Murray's serve at 5-4 in the decider, only to clatter a close-range backhand into the net when it seemed sure he would put away a winner.
The stakes were high as the match entered a final-set tie-break, and when Murray sped into a 5-0 lead he looked firmly in control. There were slight wobbles from that point, but Murray made sure, helped by a lucky net cord on match point as a service return trickled over.
"I didn't know that," Murray said afterwards, when told about his record when leading matches by two sets.
Berrettini lost his first meeting with Murray, which came in Beijing in 2019, but the Italian won all three of their next matches, on grass at London's Queen's Club and Stuttgart before a US Open victory last September.
Former Wimbledon and US Open winner Murray, still playing thanks to his metal hip, expects Tuesday's match on a scorching day in Melbourne to take a toll.
"I'll be feeling this, this evening and tomorrow, but right now I'm unbelievably happy, very proud of myself," Murray said in an on-court interview.
"I've put a lot of work into the last few months with my team who are here to give me an opportunity to perform on stadiums like this and matches like this, against players like Matteo, and it paid off tonight."
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