Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 30 December 2024 | Dan Imhoff

As far as unseeded match-hardened floaters in the Brisbane International draw go, Jordan Thompson knows they don’t come much tougher than Matteo Berrettini, one of the heroes of Italy’s recent Davis Cup triumph.

With the home crowd in his corner, the eighth-seeded Australian though was up to task after he overcame a slow start against the former world No.6 to open his campaign with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory.

“I just tried to give him a different look on serve. Obviously, he was serving unbelievably at the start and wasn’t missing many first serves,” Thompson said. “I thought I’d try and throw him off his rhythm. I think I might have just jagged a lucky break and maybe just got it started.

“It’s difficult. Sometimes it’s really hard to find his backhand. He’s a big frame and he’s got a huge serve and huge forehand. Trying to pin him in that backhand corner’s not as easy as it sounds.

“I think I can credit my movement, just trying to counterpunch, you know, a faster strike and I feel like I can get on top of the rally.”

Huge! @jordanthommmo2 rallies from a set down to defeat Matteo Berrettini!

Onto the next one, Thommo!#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/c9g9qoIc7y

— Brisbane International (@BrisbaneTennis) December 30, 2024

Berrettini was looking to continue his resurgence following a foot injury that cut short his 2023 season.

He was eager to break Australian hearts again after eking out a win over Thanasi Kokkinakis in the Davis Cup semifinals in Malaga last month on his way to guiding his nation to a successful Davis Cup title defence.

The 28-year-old prevailed in his only prior encounter with Thompson in the opening round of the 2019 US Open but both had transformed since, the Sydneysider in a breakout 2024 season in which he snared a first career title at Los Cabos and cracked the top 30.

Thompson held fond memories of a run to the semifinals in Brisbane last January when he saved a match point against Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals in what became the Spaniard’s final match on Australian soil.

“He’s one of my childhood heroes and taking him down on this court in a quarterfinal on a Friday night really kickstarted my year,” he said, before he jokingly tipped his hat to a final exclamation mark that rounded out his season. “Then I went and trained with the Wests Tigers and that just boosted it even more.”

Another big server, 20-year-old Alex Michelsen, awaits.

The American earlier saved a match point and converted on his fifth to sneak past Thompson’s compatriot Christopher O’Connell 6-4 4-6 7-6(12).

In an earlier all-Australian encounter at Pat Rafter Arena, Kimberly Birrell set up a second-round showdown against No.2 seed Emma Navarro following a three-set win over good friend and former practice partner Priscilla Hon.

Having trailed a set and 3-1 in the second set, 26-year-old Birrell won 3-6 7-5 6-2.