Lorenzo Sonego defeats Matteo Berrettini in straight sets at Stuttgart Open.

Matteo Berrettini Loses on Return from Injury as Grass Season Begins

A disappointing start to the grass season for Italian tennis player Matteo Berrettini, who lost in straight sets on his return from injury at the Stuttgart Open. The two-time Queen’s champion was beaten 6-1 6-2 by fellow countryman Lorenzo Sonego. This marks only a second loss for Berrettini on grass in 22 matches.

Raonic Claims First Tour-level Win After Two-year Absence

Milos Raonic made a triumphant comeback after nearly two years out with injuries at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. He secured his first Tour-level win since returning by defeating Serb Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-4.

The Canadian Wimbledon runner-up of 2016 said he is taking his recovery “day by day” after a series of injuries disrupted his career. It has been an emotional journey for Raonic who had not played any tennis ball for a year and admitted that playing in front of fans again felt nerve-wracking.

“It’s been pretty heartbreaking most times when I couldn’t do anything, so it’s nice for me to be here one more time.”

Berretinni Competing For First Time Since Abdominal Injury Forced Him Out At Monte Carlo Masters

Berretinni missed last year’s Wimbledon tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test but had been on an excellent run of form on grass in the past couple of seasons before being defeated by Sonego. Meanwhile, fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti started his campaign with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 win over Croatia’s Borna Gojo following his impressive run to the French Open fourth round.

France’s Richard Gasquet beat American Christopher Eubanks 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 and will now face Greek top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas who received a first-round bye.

In Conclusion

The start of the grass season has not gone according to plan for Berrettini, losing in straight sets upon returning from injury. However, Raonic made an inspiring comeback after nearly two years away from tennis due to injuries and is taking it day by day as he looks to rebuild his career. With other talented players such as Musetti showing promise early on in the season, it’ll be interesting to see how things unfold as we move further into the summer months.