Lorenzo Musetti - The True Crown Prince of Tennis - A 1HBH-er?

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
An adequate performance, in the end, from Lorenzo Musetti against Daniel Elahi Galan in semi-final action in Sardinia earlier on Saturday. The Italian played with controlled aggression and kept an admirable length throughout most of the match as he recorded a 6-1, 6-4 victory. However, it must also be said that he benefitted greatly from his opponent’s poor play, the Colombian making far too many unforced errors overall.

In tomorrow's final Musetti will take on the Argentine Mariano Navone in what will be a first meeting between the two players.
 
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Trip

Legend
And Navone is through over Darderi. I think Navone goes into the final the favorite over Musetti. Navone's high run of form and big, flat game, swinging a Nalbandian-esque spec, including higher reliability off the backhand side with his two-hander, will give him a pretty decent edge. Just a hunch.
 

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
Late on Thursday in Paris the no. 30 seed Lorenzo Musetti defeated Gael Monfils 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the third round at this year's French Open. The Italian has been showing some good form in recent weeks and will need to keep playing well because in the next round he will take on the top seed, world no. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic. Musetti has beaten the Serb on clay before, but not over five sets.
 

Snafu23

Semi-Pro
Musetti is a constant reminder of my prediction failures - had zero doubt he would reach top 5 by 21 and that he had infinitely better potential than Sinner. Still love his style but he's been a huge disappointment. Those 2 sets against Novak still remain his peak without a doubt
 

Wander

Hall of Fame
Musetti is a constant reminder of my prediction failures - had zero doubt he would reach top 5 by 21 and that he had infinitely better potential than Sinner. Still love his style but he's been a huge disappointment. Those 2 sets against Novak still remain his peak without a doubt
Well, you got that prediction wrong, but I think it's still not as bad as what some dude here said about Musetti in September 2020:

Has some solid shots, but this board needs a big reality check. Musetti is still regularly losing to guys ranked 200+.

Prior to this match, his best wins have been over Popyrin twice (Dubai and Trieste) and Donskoy once (Dubai). In all three matches Popyrin and Donskoy were playing terribly - I'm talking barely cracking 50% for their first serve. So it was here - Wawrinka was absolutely awful and essentially beat himself.

Right now Musetti has nothing that can hurt top 150 players. He needs a lot more time on the Challenger tour, and a lot more development if he is ever going to make it into the main draw of ATP events.

I think he has potential to be a Tour player, but his game needs a lot of work. I don't see him holding a top 150 spot at present.
Musetti broke through to the ATP top 150 himself after the very next tournament and top 100 a few months later.

Yes, as a fan of Musetti's game he hasn't quite reached the heights I expected he would do (top 10, maybe a GS final), but there's still time. Grand Slams could be beyond him, but he's already having a great career in a Richard Gasquet sort of way.
 

Snafu23

Semi-Pro
Well, you got that prediction wrong, but I think it's still not as bad as what some dude here said about Musetti in September 2020:




Musetti broke through to the ATP top 150 himself after the very next tournament and top 100 a few months later.

Yes, as a fan of Musetti's game he hasn't quite reached the heights I expected he would do (top 10, maybe a GS final), but there's still time. Grand Slams could be beyond him, but he's already having a great career in a Richard Gasquet sort of way.
I hope so my friend - looking good tonight (still not as breathtaking as when he broke out, but looking good!). Maybe beating Nole in a Slam can fix his confidence issues. Forza Lore! I'll still root and follow him if he doesn't become more than a top 15-30 player for sure.
 

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
In a special year for Italian tennis, there will be an Italian in the final of the singles event at this week’s ATP grass court tournament in Stuttgart. Earlier on Friday, in the quarter-finals, Matteo Berrettini defeated the Australian James Duckworth, 6-4, 7-5, in an encounter between two unseeded players.

In the following match, to decide whom Berrettini would face in the semi-finals, Lorenzo Musetti, the no. 5. seed, benefitted from the retirement of Alexander Bublik, the no. 3 seed, who was unable to continue due to an injury, with the score standing at 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 in the Italian’s favour. In their only previous meeting Musetti beat Berrettini in straight sets, appropriately enough in the final of the tournament in Naples, Italy, in October 2022.
 

robyrolfo

Hall of Fame
I could be wrong, but Musetti seems like the type of guy that doesn't like to lose to other Italians (aside from Sinner, who he probably just capitulates against because he thinks he has no chance).
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
I could be wrong, but Musetti seems like the type of guy that doesn't like to lose to other Italians (aside from Sinner, who he probably just capitulates against because he thinks he has no chance).

Whatever his motivations are, I hope he beats the pants of Berre

I put Berre in the same category as Thiem, has been done for years and fans are in denial
 

albertobra

Hall of Fame
The big difference is that Thiem does not have a dominant shot while Berre has a lethal 1-2, and 2 not always is needed. That is the struggle of Dominique. With his game to have a succesful comeback is more difficult, because basicly for his game to flow he always needs to be constantly on high intensity. Not easy.
 

Trip

Legend
Whatever his motivations are, I hope he beats the pants of Berre
Unfortunately not to be.

That is the struggle of Dominique. With his game to have a succesful comeback is more difficult, because basicly for his game to flow he always needs to be constantly on high intensity. Not easy.
Yep. It's stuff like this combined with how the men's tour has basically turned into non-contact UFC with a tennis racquet, that we continue to see less and less flair, coupled with more players moving to higher-powered, more forgiving frames, and lower and lower tensions -- the Adrian Mannarino approach, more or less. Anything to ease the physical burden. And love it or hate it, the way things are moving along, I only see it growing.
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
The big difference is that Thiem does not have a dominant shot while Berre has a lethal 1-2, and 2 not always is needed. That is the struggle of Dominique. With his game to have a succesful comeback is more difficult, because basicly for his game to flow he always needs to be constantly on high intensity. Not easy.

I was told that all of Thiem's shots were dominant
 

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
An interesting first-round match at the Queen's Club on Tuesday when the unseeded Lorenzo Musetti takes on the no. 2 seed Alex de Minaur, who won the title in Rosmalen last week. The Australian leads their head-to-head 1-0, but they haven't played each other on grass before.
 

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
Earlier on Tuesday, at the Queen’s Club in London, Lorenzo Musetti made a very poor start to his first-round match against Alex de Minaur. The Italian was broken four times in the first set, which de Minaur won in the seventh game. At the start of the second set the Australian held and, in the next game, had a break point on the Musetti serve at 30-40. However, with the ball at his mercy, de Minaur hit a wild forehand way out of court, and Musetti recovered to hold to 1-all.

At 2-all in the second set Musetti broke and, in the next game, led 40-0. However, he was pegged back to deuce and had even had to save a break point before holding to 4-2. A change was gradually coming over the match, and Musetti was cutting down on the unforced errors and beginning to find his first serve. De Minaur, on the other hand, was starting to lose his previous accuracy off the ground and, with it, his confidence.

Musetti took the second set in the tenth game and went ahead a double break in the final set with some very forceful, varied and confident play. Serving for the match in the eight game the Italian had a slight wobble before taking the encounter on his second match point for a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 win.
 
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robyrolfo

Hall of Fame
Yep. It's stuff like this combined with how the men's tour has basically turned into non-contact UFC with a tennis racquet, that we continue to see less and less flair, coupled with more players moving to higher-powered, more forgiving frames, and lower and lower tensions -- the Adrian Mannarino approach, more or less. Anything to ease the physical burden. And love it or hate it, the way things are moving along, I only see it growing.
Nah, nobody on tour (or possibly in the world) is taking the Adrian Mannarino approach besides Adrian Mannarino. The guy is a complete outlier and oddball.
 

Knife

Professional
Good win for Musetti even if de Minaur had a bad day at the office with a bunch of unforced errors. Speed Demon doing a classic win a title and then exit in first round performance...
 

Marius_Hancu

Talk Tennis Guru
I expect Musetti to have to play GMP in the next round and the result could go either way, as GMP has considerable finesse on all his shots, more than his opponents imagine he has. Just watch the variety of angles of racquet face on his 1HBH.
 

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
Lorenzo Musetti's second-round match against Brandon Nakashima has been scheduled fourth and last on the main court at the Queen's Club on Thursday. This will be a first meeting between the two players.
 

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
A gritty win for a very patient Lorenzo Musetti against Brandon Nakashima earlier on Thursday at the Queen's Club in London. The match went to a third set in which the Italian crucially saved two break points at 4-all before going on to break the American to love in the tenth game for a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory. In tomorrow's quarter-finals Musetti will face the unseeded Englishman Billy Harris in a first meeting between the two players.
 

Vincent-C

Legend
A gritty win for a very patient Lorenzo Musetti against Brandon Nakashima earlier on Thursday at the Queen's Club in London. The match went to a third set in which the Italian crucially saved two break points at 4-all before going on to break the American to love in the tenth game for a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory. In tomorrow's quarter-finals Musetti will face the unseeded Englishman Billy Harris in a first meeting between the two players.
Congrats for toughing that one out. Go, Moose!
 

DariaGT

Professional
If the Muse loses to Harris, I want the title changed to the Clown Prince of Tennis as he is like the new baby Fed
but really more like Grigor croseed with Fognini as Lorenzo has a really bad temper.
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
Huge opportunity for il Mago here going into Wimbledon

He's got Jordan Thompson in his next match, who is quite good on grass but just not the talent Musetti is.

Then the possible F would be the winner of the match between Korda/Hijikata and Tommy Paul.
 

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
Yes, another match patiently won by Lorenzo Musetti on Friday at the Queen's Club in London, where he beat world no. 162 Billy Harris 6-3, 7-5 to reach the semi-finals at the ATP 500 tournament. On Saturday the Italian will take on Jordan Thompson for a place in the final. Musetti easily beat the Australian in their only previous meeting, in Adelaide earlier this year.
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
Can you imagine if he were to win this, going into Wimbledon? He's thought of as a clay specialist, but nothing would make me happier than to see him catch fire and snatch a Wimbledon title from Alcaraz or Djokovic or Sinner's grasp

Well, short of Fed taking a WC and doing the same thing
 

Halba

Hall of Fame
Hey- with Djok possibly out, The Great Man would likely snag #9..
Djok isnt out, looks like he will make it. Fritz had a similar injury 2 years ago and made it, Djokovic is much fitter than Fritz.

Musetti bringing back the classic OHBH on grass- similar to the great Roger.
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
I like Musetti's one-hander too. It's flexible and adaptive, as all the great ones are.

Musetti's might be the best we have seen yet

I'm sure it's better than Fed's because he is better at fading it inside-out and DTL

If you are a fan of 1H players who don't move ponderously (Wawa) then the two most fun players to watch, ever, are playing right now
 

Vincent-C

Legend
Musetti's might be the best we have seen yet

I'm sure it's better than Fed's because he is better at fading it inside-out and DTL

If you are a fan of 1H players who don't move ponderously (Wawa) then the two most fun players to watch, ever, are playing right now
Dunno, Fed was real good going inside-out with that shot; in fact, I think he favored hitting it slightly that way.

I do not mean to be unnecessarily contrarian, but the way Stan struck the big one-hander, either dtl or gloriously crosscourt, more than made up for his imperfect movement to me. Maybe we should ask Djok or Raffi, though.
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
Dunno, Fed was real good going inside-out with that shot; in fact, I think he favored hitting it slightly that way.

I do not mean to be unnecessarily contrarian, but the way Stan struck the big one-hander, either dtl or gloriously crosscourt, more than made up for his imperfect movement to me. Maybe we should ask Djok or Raffi, though.

Wawrinka makes too many sacrifices for that backhand, so many chip FH returns. Musetti and Shapo don't do that very much for whatever reason.
 

Vincent-C

Legend
Wawrinka makes too many sacrifices for that backhand, so many chip FH returns. Musetti and Shapo don't do that very much for whatever reason.
You mean similar to the way Gasquet, say, does? "Yes, that's very nice, Richard."

2014 AO winner over #1 Raffi
2015 FO winner over #1 Djok
2016 USO winner over #1 Djok

seems OK.
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
You mean similar to the way Gasquet, say, does? "Yes, that's very nice, Richard."

2014 AO winner over #1 Raffi
2015 FO winner over #1 Djok
2016 USO winner over #1 Djok

seems OK.

Djoko has 37 slams and can't hit overheads. I'm just saying what's more fun to watch, not who's more successful
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
Muchete into the Final of Queen's now, after a 3-set win over Thompson, now awaits the winner of Korda-Paul

Those guys are better players than Thompson but he's got a great shot
 

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
Yes, a lovely display of versatile tennis from the Italian magician Lorenzo Musetti earlier on Saturday at the Queen's Club where he beat Jordan Thompson 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the final. Musetti had the slight advantage of serving first in the third set and produced a typical array of touch and powerful shots to break serve at 4-3 before holding to love for the win. The final will see a first meeting between Musetti and the American Tommy Paul.
 
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Musterrific

Hall of Fame
For some reason my brain struggles to understand that Sinner and Musetti are from the same country. Maybe because they look and play so differently.

Also, that Musetti is younger than Sinner.
Maybe because Sinner is in essence Austrian, despite what his passport says.
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
For some reason my brain struggles to understand that Sinner and Musetti are from the same country. Maybe because they look and play so differently.

Also, that Musetti is younger than Sinner.

Musetto is quintessentially Italian in so many more ways than Jannik
 

DariaGT

Professional
For some reason my brain struggles to understand that Sinner and Musetti are from the same country. Maybe because they look and play so differently.

Also, that Musetti is younger than Sinner.
Mentally Loza wont achieve the focus of Sinner until he retires. I see Loza as the replacement for Dimitrov.
 
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