Ignacio Buse outlasted Matteo Berrettini 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 6-4 in a grueling Round of 32 encounter at the Marrakech ATP tournament on March 31, 2026. The match was decided by the narrowest of margins—both players won exactly 112 total points—with Buse sealing his second consecutive victory over the 10-time titlist in just over five weeks.
The contest hinged on tiebreak execution and composure in the deciding set. Buse took a tight first-set breaker 7-5, only to see Berrettini respond emphatically by dominating the second-set tiebreak 7-2. With momentum swinging wildly, Buse regained control in the third, breaking to 5-4 and serving out the match despite hitting 47 unforced errors to Berrettini’s 43. The Italian’s superior serve—7 aces to Buse’s 5 and a cleaner 65% first-serve percentage—couldn’t overcome his struggles on second-serve points, where he won 67% compared to Buse’s 54% but failed to convert any of the limited break-point opportunities.
Berrettini’s recent hard-court form continued to falter. The defending Marrakech champion from 2024—when the event was played on clay—has now lost three of his last four hard-court matches, including defeats at Indian Wells and Miami. Buse, meanwhile, claimed his most significant hard-court win to date, avenging their February clay-court meeting in Rio de Janeiro and announcing himself as a genuine threat on faster surfaces.
Key Takeaways
- Dead-even on points: Both players won exactly 112 total points across three sets, underscoring how razor-thin the margin was. Buse’s ability to win the crucial moments—especially the first-set tiebreak and the decisive break in the third—separated the two.
- First-serve efficiency gap: Buse won 64% of first-serve points despite landing just 60% of first serves, outperforming Berrettini’s 60% win rate on a superior 65% first-serve percentage. That four-percentage-point edge on first-serve points won proved decisive in such a tight match.
- Unforced errors and winners favored Berrettini, yet he lost: The Italian struck 36 winners to Buse’s 30 and committed 4 fewer unforced errors (43 to 47), yet still came up short. The discrepancy highlights Buse’s superior positioning in the key moments—winning both the first-set breaker and the only service break of the third set.
- No break points converted: Neither player faced a single break point in the entire match (0/0 for both), making the tiebreaks and the solitary break in the third set the only service disruptions. Buse’s 5 aces exceeded his 3.2-per-match hard-court average, helping him hold serve throughout the first two sets.
Player Analysis
Ignacio Buse
The Peruvian claimed his first career ATP title with a performance built on mental resilience rather than statistical dominance. Despite committing 47 unforced errors and hitting 6 fewer winners than Berrettini, Buse’s composure in the tiebreaks and his ability to win 64% of first-serve points—well above Berrettini’s 60%—gave him the edge in the pivotal moments. His 5 aces surpassed his hard-court average of 3.2, and though he doubled Berrettini’s double-fault count (4 to 1), he kept the Italian at bay throughout the first two sets by holding serve with authority.
This marks Buse’s second consecutive victory over Berrettini in six weeks, following their clay-court clash in Rio. His record against the veteran now suggests a tactical blueprint: absorb pressure, stay steady on first serves, and capitalize when the margins narrow. With limited hard-court experience—just 12 matches on the surface heading into this event—Buse’s development on faster courts is accelerating rapidly.
Matteo Berrettini
The 10-time titlist’s struggles on hard courts continued in Marrakech, where he returned as defending champion but on a different surface than his 2024 clay-court triumph. Berrettini’s serve looked sharp—7 aces, 65% first serves in, just 1 double fault—and he won 67% of second-serve points while striking 36 winners. Yet his 60% first-serve points won lagged behind Buse’s 64%, and in a match where no break points were converted, that gap proved fatal.
Berrettini’s recent form is worrying. He’s now lost three of his last four hard-court outings, including defeats at Indian Wells and Miami, and has dropped consecutive matches to Buse across surfaces. The Italian’s winner-to-error ratio (36 winners, 43 errors) was superior to Buse’s (30 winners, 47 errors), but his inability to impose himself in the tiebreaks—losing the first 7-5 and ceding the second 7-2—underscores a broader issue: he’s not closing out tight matches. At 30 years old, questions about his ability to compete consistently on tour’s fastest surfaces are mounting.
Match Statistics
| Ignacio Buse | Stat | Matteo Berrettini |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Aces | 7 |
| 4 | Double Faults | 1 |
| 60% | 1st Serve % | 65% |
| 64% | 1st Serve Points Won | 60% |
| 54% | 2nd Serve Points Won | 67% |
| 30 | Winners | 36 |
| 47 | Unforced Errors | 43 |
| 112 | Total Points Won | 112 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of Ignacio Buse vs Matteo Berrettini at Marrakech 2026?
Ignacio Buse defeated Matteo Berrettini 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 6-4 in the Round of 32 at the Marrakech ATP tournament on March 31, 2026.
How many total points did Buse and Berrettini win?
Both players won exactly 112 total points, making this one of the closest matches statistically possible. Buse prevailed by winning the decisive moments in tiebreaks and the third set.
Did Berrettini or Buse face any break points?
Neither player faced a single break point during the entire match, with both going 0/0 on break-point opportunities. The match was decided by tiebreaks in the first two sets and a single break in the third.
Who won the Marrakech ATP Round of 32 in 2026?
Ignacio Buse won the Round of 32 match against Matteo Berrettini, securing his first career ATP title and advancing to the Round of 16.
What’s Next
Buse advances to the Round of 16 in Marrakech, where he’ll face a yet-to-be-determined opponent. His confidence will be sky-high after back-to-back wins over a former Grand Slam finalist. Berrettini, meanwhile, will need to reassess his hard-court strategy ahead of the upcoming clay season, where his game has historically thrived.
Head-to-head history: Ignacio Buse vs Matteo Berrettini.
