New Delhi: Lorenzo Musetti delivered a statement win to secure his spot in the Monte Carlo Masters semifinals, marking a significant breakthrough in his career. The 23-year-old Italian stunned three-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas with a gritty 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback, advancing to his first-ever ATP Masters 1000 semifinal. In doing so, Musetti ended a five-match losing streak against the Greek, finally earning his first victory in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
Displaying nerves of steel on serve, Musetti saved 14 of the 17 breakpoints he faced and showed remarkable composure under pressure, particularly in the deciding set. He held firm during a tense moment at 1-2, fending off four breakpoints, before capitalising on a double fault from Tsitsipas at 3-3 to seize control of the match. After two hours and 21 minutes of high-quality tennis, it was Musetti who emerged victorious and etched his name into the Monte Carlo history books.
In the post-match presentation, the Paris Olympic bronze medalist said, “It has a special, let’s say, flavour not just because he’s the defending champion here, but because before today, I never won against him.” As Musetti captured his ninth Top-10 win, tears of joy flowed off and he went on to hug his teammates courtside to celebrate the hard-fought victory.
A BIG W ✅@Lorenzo1Musetti defeats defending champion Tsitsipas 1-6 6-3 6-4 to reach his FIRST Masters 1000 Semi-Final#RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/C8XfTTc2yG
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 11, 2025
The Greek has been struggling with his form, and the saga continued as he failed to defend his title. He started the week at No. 8 in the ATP Rankings, but now he is set to slide down to No 16 after his quarter-final exit. Tsitsipas still has plenty of points as he has earned a spot in the final of the ATP 500 tournament that will resume next week.
He is left with around 900 points over the rest of the clay court season, and if he suffers any early setback, he will be out of the Top 20. After the loss, he said, “I just feel like I could have done way more today. I missed forehands I never miss. I was actually quite surprised to see those forehands go out or to the net.”
What next for Musetti?
Lorenzo Musetti will next face eighth-seed Australian Alex de Minaur, who breezed past Grigor Dimitrov 6-0, 6-0 last night to book a berth in the semis. Musetti, currently 13th in the ATP Rankings, could crack the Top 10 for the first time if he manages to win the title. Whether he will break into the Top 10 remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure that the young gun has a lot of potential, as demonstrated by defeating a three-time Monte Carlo champion.
Lorenzo Musetti stuns three time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 at Monte Carlo Masters to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
