Making the turn to his back nine (the front nine at TPC Sawgrass), the two-time major champion caught lightning in a bottle when he played his next six holes in 5 under. Morikawa's day began in a relatively straightforward fashion with two birdies on his opening half. Just one stroke off the pace of Chad Ramey (-8), Morikawa rode a scorching performance from tee to green for his best opening round since the Tournament of Champions. Ladies and gentlemen, Matteo Berrettini.Collin Morikawa has catapulted himself into contention at the 2023 Players Championship with an opening-round 65 as play was suspended on Thursday due to darkness. We wish you the best for your Australian Open quarterfinal in a couple of days’ time. Mate, I know you’re earning a lot of support here in Australia. We know each other pretty well so let’s see. But I know that it’s going to be a different match. I remember, yeah, I always remember - I remember that match with a smile of course. Do you have any thoughts on that match-up? You’re going to play him again in a quarter-final in a Grand Slam in the Australian Open in two days’ time. The first time you made a semi-final at a Grand Slam, 2019, you beat a man named Gael Monfils in the US Open quarters. Yeah, that’s the result that I’m getting now and I’m really happy for the work that we’ve done and hopefully I will be ready for the quarter-finals. So my team worked really hard to be ready for the Australian Open. I did a short but intense preseason because I was injured at the end of the year. Is that something you’ve worked on in the off-season from recovering from best of five set matches in? You came off a tough match in the round before. And it’s important you know because then when I go to a tournament I feel I have more energy and I can invest more. My percentage, I didn’t check, but you told me. I think he wasn’t reading my serve and that’s why I did a lot of aces. No, but joke aside, yeah, I think, I was really precise. It must make your life a little bit easier when you’re serving as big as that?

Let’s talk about the match tonight because you served incredibly well. I believe everything that happens to you is a reason and I guess I was like even more - I was wishing to come back as soon as possible, and I think the way I won today and the tournament now is showing why I care so much about this tournament.Įverything certainly happens for a reason. I really wanted to play, but my team forced me and I understood that I couldn’t play with a tear in my ab, so it was really tough. It must have felt good to redeem yourself here at Melbourne Park. SG: This time last year you weren’t able to step out for your round 16 match. Nine commentator Sam Groth interviewed Matteo Berrettini following his win over Pablo Carreno Busta.

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