Lorenzo Sonego blames ‘s*** weather’ of London for his Wimbledon loss to Matteo Berrettini

Berrettini improves head-to-head record against Sonego to 3-1.

Lorenzo Sonego blames ‘s*** weather’ of London for his Wimbledon loss to Matteo Berrettini

The Wimbledon Championships 2023, the 136th edition of the tournament, have been disrupted by inclement weather since Day 1. This has affected players as much as it has affected fans. Italian Lorenzo Sonego pinned the blame for his first-round loss to compatriot Matteo Berrettini on the weather, labeling it “s***.”

Lorenzo Sonego was less than amused by the rain delays and the slippery surface, both of which stretched his first-round match to three days. In his post-match conference, he took his ire out on the weather conditions, which he felt hampered his chances of securing a win.

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The Turin native felt that the outcome of the match was largely affected by the weather. The 28-year-old felt that he was the better player of the two on Tuesday, but the tables turned over the course of the next two days, tilting the match in favor of his good friend, Berrettini.

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Speaking exclusively to a group of reporters, Sonego said, “It’s tough to play one match in three days. Three different conditions, three different matches. He played very well yesterday and today. I think it was different on the first day. But the weather was s***.”

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The battle of the two Italians lasted for three days

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Lorenzo Sonego and Matteo Berrettini after their first-round Wimbledon 2023 match. (Image Courtesy: il Giornale)

The 108th-ranked Sonego was scheduled to compete against 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday. Sonego, the older of the two Italians, managed to win the first set in a closely fought tiebreak. Rain then disrupted play, giving Berrettini much-needed time to recoup. Play resumed on Wednesday, and the 27-year-old Berrettini seized the initiative as he won the next two sets.

The match was not without controversy as both Italians complained to Jimmy Pinoargote, the chair umpire, about the slippery conditions on the court. Things took a turn for the worse when play had to be suspended yet again following Sonego’s fall early in the fourth set.

Once play resumed on Thursday, the World No. 37 from Rome, Matteo Berrettini, sealed the tie, beating his close friend Lorenzo Sonego in four sets 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(7), 6-3. The camaraderie between the two Italians was evident in their customary post-match handshake.

Berrettini, who has been battling abdominal injury issues all year, was in two minds whether to compete at the Championships this year or not. The weather-induced delay of his first-round match did indeed prove to be a blessing in disguise for the former World No. 6, as he sailed through comfortably in straight sets in his second-round encounter against 15th-seeded Alex de Minaur. The Italian, a fine grass-court player, will face either 19th seed Alexander Zverev or Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki in the third round, as he looks to once again make it through to the second week at the Championships.

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