Matteo Berrettini stuns Novak Djokovic in straight sets, pulls off Qatar Open upset

It was the first career win in five attempts for Berrettini against the Serbian and also his first victory over a top-10 player since 2023.

Italian Matteo Berrettini upset third-seeded Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the first round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Tuesday.

Italy's Matteo Berettin shakes hands with Serbia's Novak Djokovic after their men's singles match at the ATP Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on February 18, 2025(AFP)

It was the first career win in five attempts for Berrettini against the Serbian and also his first victory over a top-10 player since 2023.

No. 2 seed Alex de Minaur of Australia defeated Russian Roman Safiullin 6-1, 7-5 and No. 4 seed Daniil Medvedev eliminated defending champion and fellow Russian Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Another Russian, fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev, was a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.

Hamad Medjedovic of Serbia knocked off sixth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 7-6 (6), 5-7, 7-6 (5) in a battle lasting two hours, 45 minutes. Also advancing to the second round were Nuno Borges of Portugal, Italy's Luca Nardi, Tallon Griekspoor and Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands, Zizou Bergs of Belgium and Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada.

Rio Open

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev endured an up-and-down first set before emerging with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over China's Yunchaokete Bu in the first round at Rio de Janeiro.

Zverev won the first three games of the match, then fell behind 5-4 before saving a set point on Bu's serve. The German claimed the last four points of the first-set tiebreaker, then got the only service break of the second set in the penultimate game.

In other opening-round action, fourth-seeded Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina beat France's Hugo Gaston 7-6 (9), 6-0; fifth-seeded Sebastian Baez won an all-Argentine matchup against lucky loser Roman Andres Burruchaga 6-3, 7-5; and eighth-seeded Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina got past France's Corentin Moutet 6-3, 7-6 (1). Another Argentine lucky loser, Camilo Ugo Carabelli, upset seventh-seeded Pedro Martinez of Spain 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Also advancing were Italy's Luciano Darderi, Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur and Portuguese lucky loser Jaime Faria.