Zverev Powers Past Berrettini at Indian Wells, Cites Renewed Confidence

Alexander Zverev advanced to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Friday with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 victory over Matteo Berrettini. The fourth-seeded German displayed a dominant performance, striking 19 winners to just 11 unforced errors, and didn’t face a single break point throughout the match.

Zverev’s Dominant Display

Zverev’s win marks his fifth against Berrettini in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, improving his record to 5-3. Notably, this is Zverev’s first victory over the Italian since the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, a tournament he ultimately won. He secured the win in 71 minutes, winning 82% of his second serve points.

“I Feel Different This Year”

Following the match, Zverev expressed a sense of renewed confidence and a different mindset compared to previous appearances at Indian Wells. “I am very happy with the performance,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “Against Matteo, it is very challenging. I lost the past two matches against him. I have struggled in Indian Wells before, but I feel different this year. Hopefully, it is going to be a different result and it was a good start.”

Looking Ahead

Zverev will next face either Brandon Nakashima or Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the third round. Despite being a seven-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, Zverev has yet to claim a title in Indian Wells, with quarter-final appearances in 2021 and 2024 being his best results to date.

Berrettini’s Struggles Continue

Berrettini, who has previously reached a career-high ranking of No. 6, struggled to find his rhythm against Zverev. While not playing poorly, he was consistently overpowered by the German’s aggressive play and inability to exploit Zverev’s weaker backhand.

Zverev consistently pressured Berrettini’s backhand and effectively used net play to control the match. He won 94 percent of his first serves and didn’t face a break point, while Berrettini faced stressful service games throughout the match.