UTS1 Day 8 preview: Matteo Berrettini “The Hammer” vs Alexei Popyrin “The Sniper”

“The Hammer” Matteo Berrettini has emerged as a bonafide top 10 talent over the last year and he’s backed up that status impressively here at UTS. On Sunday The Sniper Alexei Popyrin gets exactly what he was looking for when he signed up to be a part of the star-studded UTS field; a chance to play with – and take down – one of the best.

It’s not been something that the talented Aussie has been able to do thus far in his career. The 20-year-old has never won a completed match against any player inside the top 30 and at times over the last three weeks he’s shown why. The Aussie can lose his confidence when things are not going his way and he tends to wear the disappointment like a mask of shame when things start to fall apart for him on the court.

If this happens today, look for Berrettini to pounce. The Italian is a mighty, menacing aggressor and he is at his best when he’s calling the shots on court. Let that be a warning to Popyrin; if the Aussie can’t elevate his mental state he could get crushed by the crippling blows of The Hammer.