After overcoming difficulties in the later stages of the first set, Matteo Berrettini defeated Dennis Novak in his first match at the Thiem's 7.
Walking onto the court, dressed in the same dark shorts, red t-shirt, and white cap,
Matteo Berrettini and
Dennis Novak were almost indistinguishable. And so was also their game during the first set of the match.
After Berrettini broke Novak's service in the 5th game, the Austrian took the break back in the 8th game. The Italian then wasted 5 breakpoints in the next game what could have cost him a set as Novak had 3 set points in the following game. Eventually, the set reached the tie-break. There, Berrettini showed that he's a member of Top 10 of the ATP Ranking and won it 8-6.
In the second set, the young Italian was much more dominant. He got the break already in the second game and didn't lose more than one point on his service game since that moment. Berrettini kept the high-level to win the match 7-6(6), 6-3, and get the first point in the group stage.