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Berrettini Fights Back to Win First Round in Cincinnati

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Italian tennis player Matteo Berrettini has won his first-round match at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 tournament in the United States.

Berrettini played against Constant Droguet, a tennis player from France. Berrettini did not start well and was losing the match.

However, he managed to make a comeback, winning the match after falling behind early on. This win means Berrettini advances to the second round of the tournament.

The Cincinnati Masters is one of the biggest tennis events on the ATP calendar. Many top players compete there before the US Open.

Berrettini's match was one of several featuring Italian players on the same day. Lorenzo Sonego also played his first-round match, against a player named Shang.

In total, four Italian players were in action that Friday. Fans in Italy could follow all the matches live on the Sky television channel.

Italian tennis has become very popular in recent years, with several Italian players reaching high rankings in the ATP tour. Berrettini has previously reached the final of Wimbledon, one of the sport's biggest tournaments.

His win in Cincinnati shows that he is fighting to return to his best form after dealing with injuries in the past few seasons.

Tennis fans will now wait to see who Berrettini faces in the next round of the tournament.

Vocabulary8 words

Masters 1000
a very important series of tennis tournaments
tournament
a big sports competition with many players
comeback
when someone wins after losing at first
advances
moves forward to the next stage
calendar
the list of events during the year
action
playing in a match or event
rankings
a list showing who is best
injuries
hurt parts of the body from playing sport

Quiz

1. How did Berrettini win his match?
2. Which tournament is mentioned in the story?
3. True or False: Berrettini was the only Italian player competing that day.

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Italian tennis player Matteo Berrettini has won his first-round match at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 _____ in the United States.

Berrettini played against Constant Droguet, a tennis player from _____. Berrettini did not start well and was _____ the match.

However, he managed to make a _____, winning the match after falling behind early on. This win means Berrettini _____ to the second round of the tournament.

The Cincinnati Masters is one of the biggest tennis events on the ATP _____. Many top players compete there before the US Open.

Berrettini's match was one of several featuring Italian players on the same day. Lorenzo _____ also played his first-round match, against a player named Shang.

In total, four Italian players were in _____ that Friday. Fans in Italy could follow all the matches live on the Sky television channel.

Italian tennis has become very popular in recent years, with several Italian players reaching high _____ in the ATP tour. Berrettini has previously reached the final of Wimbledon, one of the sport's biggest tournaments.

His win in Cincinnati shows that he is fighting to return to his best form after dealing with _____ in the past few seasons.

Discussion questions

  1. Why do you think comebacks in sport are exciting for fans to watch?
  2. What qualities do you think a tennis player needs to win after losing the early part of a match?
  3. Why might a Masters 1000 tournament be important for a player's ranking?
  4. Do you follow tennis? Which players or tournaments interest you most?

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