By Shrivathsa Sridhar
LONDON (Reuters) – Jannik Sinner may be the new spearhead of Italian tennis after taking the baton from Matteo Berrettini but the world number one will brace himself for a tough challenge in their Wimbledon second-round showdown on Wednesday.
While Australian Open champion Sinner has enjoyed a steady rise in recent months, 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini has struggled with a string of injury problems and finds himself 59th in the world rankings.
Sinner won the pair’s only previous clash in Toronto last year and is unbeaten in 13 tour-level main draw matches against fellow Italians, but the 22-year-old is fully aware of the threat his compatriot will pose on grass with a booming serve.
“It’s a tough one,” said Sinner, who needed four sets to beat Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann and book the clash with Berrettini.
“He played the final here and he knows very well how to play on this surface, so it’s a big challenge for me. But I’m looking forward to it. Let’s see what’s coming.”
Berrettini, who was beaten by seven-times champion Novak Djokovic in the final three years ago, said he was surprised by how much Sinner had improved having watched him up close late last season.
“At the end of last year I was injured and I wasn’t on tour to see him live with my eyes. And then I had the chance to go to the Davis Cup and it was unbelievable,” Berrettini said.
“We were looking at each other saying, ‘Is this guy real?’ Because he wasn’t missing. Hitting every ball with full power. The confidence he built throughout the year was unbelievable.
“He just kept improving all the things that he is working on with his coaches. I think his secret is that he’s really hungry for improvement. And the humbleness he has about it.
“Personally, it gives me so much energy to just try to be there and to play against him and to be at his level.”
Also in action on Wednesday will be French Open champion and third seed Carlos Alcaraz, who will resume his bid for a second Grand Slam title this year when he meets Aleksandar Vukic.
Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev will open proceedings on Centre Court against Frenchman Alexandre Muller.
In the women’s draw, second seed and U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff will square off with Romanian Anca Todoni while four-times Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka faces 19th seed Emma Navarro.
Local favourite and former Flushing Meadows champion Emma Raducanu will take on Belgian Elise Mertens on Court One.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar; Editing by Alison Williams)
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