Matteo Berrettini eased past Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz on Friday to reach his maiden Wimbledon final and become the first-ever Italian to reach a singles final at the Championships. 

The 25-year-old claimed a 6-3, 6-0, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 win in the fourth set to oust the Pole, who had shocked the world by defeating eight-time champion Roger Federer in the quarter-final. 

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Berrettini will now face the winner of the other semi-final between Serbian ace Novak Djokovic and Canada’s Denis Shapovalov in the final on Sunday. 

If Berrettini wins, he will become the first Italian men’s Grand Slam champions since Adriano Panatta’s win in the 1976 edition of Roland Garros. 

“I think I never dreamed about this because it was too much for a dream,” he said in his post-match comments. “I am trying to be the best at everything but after the third set I was feeling I deserved to win it but lost it.”

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The world number nine fired 22 aces, taking his tournament total past the 100-mark, and 60 winners against Hurkacz. He took six out of the total 10 break points on offer and saved both he faced. 

Berrettini can celebrate a national double for his country on Sunday if he wins as Italy take on England in the Euro 2020 final the same day.

“So far it is the best tennis day of my life but hopefully Sunday will be even better. I feel kind of chills but I am doing it, so I have to believe it,” he said. 

Berrettini wasted three break points in the first set before getting his first break in the seventh game and backing it up in the ninth. 

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He then wrapped up the second set in jsut 23 minutes, sealing a 10-game winning run. He made it 11 in the first game of the third set, before Hurkacz, who was aiming to be the first Pole into the Wimbledon singles final, mounted a fightback. 

He won the third set after forcing a tiebreaker, but gave up his momentum Berrettini broke through in the first game of the fourth set, winning 6-4 eventually to reach the final.