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Matteo Berrettini says he gave "one of the best performances of [his] life" as he double-bagelled No. 7 seed Daniil Medvedev at the Monte Carlo Masters. A former top-10 player, Berrettini has dropped to 90th in the world after years of injury struggles and needed a wildcard to enter this tournament. Even at his peak, Berrettini had never beaten Medvedev, but the Italian handed the former world No. 1 the worst loss of his career, sealing a 6-0 6-0 victory in just 49 minutes on Court Rainier III.

Medvedev admittedly isn't a huge fan of the clay, but he's reached the semi-finals here before and won the 2023 Italian Open. However, the Russian was no match for Berrettini on Wednesday, making 28 unforced errors and hitting just three winners. Still, the world No. 90 didn't expect to win in such a manner.

"I think it was definitely one of the best performances of my life. I think I missed three shots in the whole match, and it's not easy, especially against a tricky player like Daniil. I think the game plan was perfect, and my weapons were working pretty well," Berrettini said courtside after causing a huge upset.

"I risked a little bit in the first game, facing two break points. After that, I felt I was playing better. I didn't expect to win like that; it doesn't happen often, but at the same time, I kept my focus because I know that tennis is a tricky sport. One break, two breaks, it's not enough sometimes. I kept pushing, and I got the win."

As the match went on, it became apparent that the double-bagel was possible. And that was exactly when Berrettini had to maintain his focus and ensure he didn't drop his level just because he held such a big lead.

"For sure, for sure, because then, I mean, I've been playing for a long time, so I know that anything can change with a few points," he said.

"I felt like it was really important to start and hold the serve on the first game of the second set with used balls. Then we changed the balls, and I felt a little bit more comfortable serving. And, you know, it's a matter of a few points. Then obviously when you've got two breaks, you play more relaxed, and things are getting on your racket without even knowing."

Berrettini clearly thrives at the Monte Carlo Masters - this was his biggest win by ranking since he shocked then-world No. 4 Alexander Zverev on the same court here last year. And the 2021 Wimbledon finalist is hoping this can propel him on to have a deep run at a big tournament.

"I always hope that a good run is coming, but the reality is, I need matches like this. I need these kinds of tournaments, and I need to lose, I need to win, I need to digest the losses. I just need time, I need time, matches, and confidence that is building in practice and in matches like this. A long run is hopefully coming soon," he smiled.

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