Lorenzo Musetti earned a milestone victory Friday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final. The Italian faced Tsitsipas for the sixth time and finally broke through, showcasing a brave serving performance that saw him save 14 of the 17 break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
The match, which lasted two hours and 21 minutes, saw Musetti recover from a shaky start. After dropping the first set, he found his footing, especially in the final set where he erased four break points at 1-2. The turning point came when Tsitsipas, who had entered the quarter-final clash with a perfect 5-0 record against Musetti, double faulted down break point at 3-3. Musetti seized the opportunity, storming towards victory.
“Today was a really tough match. I knew that before today I never beat him and we played five times. Especially on clay, I knew against a three-time champion, definitely not an easy job today,” said Musetti, who captured his ninth Top-10 win. “I found a way and I was increasing during the whole match. Really, really happy and proud of this win.”
While Tsitsipas attempted to dominate with his forehand, he struggled with his backhand, resulting in 23 of his 45 unforced errors coming from that wing. Musetti’s strategy included a deep return position and a variety of shots, including precise one-handers down the line and delicate drop shots that caught the sun-baked court. After the match, a visibly emotional Musetti hugged his team, expressing, “It’s really beautiful to cry together and win together. It’s really nice.”
Next up for Musetti is eighth seed Alex de Minaur, who had a dominant performance earlier in the day, defeating Grigor Dimitrov 6-0, 6-0 in just 44 minutes. The match was a stark contrast to Musetti's battle, with Dimitrov struggling to find his rhythm, making 23 unforced errors and only managing one winner throughout the match.
In other quarter-final action, Carlos Alcaraz also progressed, defeating local favorite Arthur Fils 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Alcaraz, the defending champion, faced a tough challenge from Fils, who initially surged to a 3-0 lead in the first set with two early breaks. However, Alcaraz demonstrated his resilience, breaking back to level the set at 4-4 before Fils regained the lead and secured the first set.
“I believe that true champions find the right level when necessary. Of course, I’d like to be able to play my best tennis from the first point to the last,” Alcaraz said after the match. He acknowledged the challenges of maintaining peak performance throughout the match, stating, “But we played for almost two hours 30 minutes, and that’s the hardest thing in tennis: maintaining your best level over such a long period.”
Alcaraz will face fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semi-finals, who advanced by defeating Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2. Davidovich Fokina demonstrated confidence after knocking out British fifth seed Jack Draper in the last 16, showcasing a strong performance that secured his place in the last four.
The semi-finals promise to be exciting, with Musetti looking to continue his impressive run against de Minaur, while Alcaraz aims to reclaim his title against Davidovich Fokina. Musetti, currently ranked 13th in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, has a chance to break into the Top 10 if he wins the tournament, adding more intrigue to his upcoming matches.
As the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters unfolds, fans are treated to thrilling tennis and unexpected outcomes, with the likes of Musetti and Alcaraz proving that the competition is fierce and anything can happen on the clay courts of Monaco.
