Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka will play in a battle of three-time Grand Slam champions in the first round at Roland Garros.

The stars have met 20 times in their ATP Head2Head series, with Murray claiming 12 of those matches. They clashed in both the 2016 and 2017 Paris semi-finals, with the latter of those battles proving a pivotal moment for both players.

“Been a long journey to get back on Court Philipe Chatrier. Three-and-a-half years since I played @stanwawrinka85 in a brutal five-set semi-final, which turned out to be the end of my hip,” Murray wrote on Instagram Tuesday. “It was a pleasure to be back @rolandgarros and a huge thank you to the @fftennis for giving me the opportunity to play here again ?.”

 

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Been a long journey to get back on Court Philipe Chatrier. 3 and half years since I played @stanwawrinka85 in a brutal 5 set semi final which turned out to be the end of my hip. It was a pleasure to be back @rolandgarros and a huge thank you to the @fftennis for giving me the opportunity to play here again ? The new stadium with the roof looks amazing and all the changes and improvements they have made for the players is much appreciated? @castore_sportswear @headtennis_official #tennis #paris

A post shared by Andy Murray (@andymurray) on Sep 21, 2020 at 11:14am PDT

Wawrinka won that 2017 semi-final after a thrilling four hours and 34 minutes, but it took a toll on both of them. The Swiss underwent two left knee surgeries in August 2017, and Murray would have right hip surgery in January 2018 and January 2019.

Draw Preview: Nadal, Thiem Face Tough Paths In Paris

Their most recent match came in last year’s Antwerp final, in which Murray rallied to win his first ATP Tour singles title since 2017 Dubai.

“It means a lot. The past few years have been extremely difficult. Both me and Stan have had a lot of injury problems in the past couple of years,” Murray said at the time. “Amazing to be back playing against him in a final like that.”

The winner of their Roland Garros battle will play in-form home German Dominik Koepfer or Frenchman Antoine Hoang in the second round.

Another tantalising first-round match pits recent US Open champion Dominic Thiem against former World No. 3 Marin Cilic. The third seed has won each of their three meetings, but the Croatian showed in Flushing Meadows just weeks ago that he is still capable of pushing the Austrian when he is firing. Thiem battled past Cilic in that match 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. That third set was the only set he lost en route to the final.

David Goffin, the 11th seed, will have his hands full against reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner. The 19-year-old Italian won their only previous match 7-6(7), 7-5 earlier this year in Rotterdam. Their encounter promises to provide thrilling baseline rallies, with both players looking to take charge of the baseline on the terre batture.

One of the most entertaining first-round clashes might be between eighth seed Gael Monfils and Kazakhstani Alexander Bublik. They are two of the biggest showmen on the ATP Tour. Monfils is arguably the quickest player on Tour and he has the ability to unleash incredible power when necessary. Bublik enjoys using his underarm serve and drop shot, which should create exciting rallies.

Home favourite Richard Gasquet will try to spring a surprise against rock-solid 10th seed Roberto Bautista Agut. The favoured Spaniard has won six of their eight meetings, but this will be their first clay-court clash. Will the French magician be able to find the level that took him as high as World No. 7 to upset Bautista Agut?

Stefanos Tsitsipas is living proof that you learn something new every day.

After the second seed won his second-round match at the Hamburg European Open on Thursday, the on-court reporter called the Greek’s opponent, Pablo Cuveas, a ‘tough cookie’.

“Tough cookie?” Tsitsipas wondered. “First time I heard this.”

It didn’t take long for the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion to realise what the phrase means, and he agreed.

“I understand, I understand,” Tsitsipas said, cracking a laugh. “Never heard it before.

The World No. 6 now leads their ATP Head2Head series 3-0 following his 7-5, 6-4 victory, but he needed to save all five break points he faced to do so. Tsitsipas converted both break points he earned.

“I have a lot of respect for him. He is a very difficult opponent to face, particularly on this surface,” Tsitsipas said. “He is a good friend and one of my idols growing up. It was a great match and I enjoyed it. There was a certain point during the match when I forgot that I had to win. I was just enjoying the game, enjoying the crowd and playing with the most positive vibes, the most positive energy.”

Learning the meaning of ‘tough cookie’ was not the only highlight of the 22-year-old’s on-court interview. He was challenged to speak a few words of German to the Hamburg crowd. Up to 2,300 socially distanced fans are allowed inside centre court.

“I received a little bit of help from someone sitting in the crowd. My German is alright,” Tsitsipas said. “I’ll make a promise. If things go well here, I’ll come back next year speaking maybe not fluent, but good enough to give a speech.”

Tsitsipas will hope to continue winning at the ATP 500 when he plays 2019 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters finalist Dusan Lajovic in the quarter-finals. They have split their two ATP Head2Head meetings.

“He’s going to be a ‘tough cookie’,” Tsitsipas said. “He’s had great results on clay, so I’m expecting a good game and I hope to bring a good fight against him tomorrow.”

Casper Ruud was rock solid on Thursday as he knocked out sixth seed Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-3 in 67 minutes for a place in the Hamburg European Open semi-finals.

During an extraordinary run of seven straight games — from 3-3 in the first set to 4-0 in the second set — Ruud won 18 points in a row, from 5-3, 0/15 in the opener to 3-0, 30/0 in the second set.

The 21-year-old Norwegian, who advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final last week at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia (l. to Djokovic), is now 19-8 on the season, which includes winning the Argentina Open crown in February. He will now prepare to face France’s Ugo Humbert on Friday.

Ruud, competing at a career-high No. 30 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, got Fognini on the run throughout the first set, which turned in the eighth game when Fognini make two forehand errors in a row. Ruud completed the 29-minute set when his Italian opponent hit a backhand return into the net and the Norwegian immediately dominated the first four games of the second set.

Fognini sparked into life and recovered to 3-4, but Ruud tightened up his service placement to maintain a single-break cushion. The match ended when Fognini hit his first double fault.

Ruud, who won 25 of 28 first-service points, also beat Fognini 6-2, 6-2 at the ATP Cup in January.

Ugo Humbert” />

Earlier in the day, Humbert proved that his first-round victory over Daniil Medvedev was no fluke, when the Frenchman backed it up with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over qualifier Jiri Vesely.

Humbert, who is currently at a career-high World No. 41, struck 24 winners in the one-hour and 45-minute encounter at the AM Rothenbaum and now has a 5-3 record since the resumption of the ATP Tour last month.

After an early exchange of breaks, little separated Humbert and Vesely, who ultimately faded in the final three points of the 50-minute first set, which ended with the Czech striking a backhand in the net.

Humbert, who hit 14 winners in the opener, saved two break points in the first game of the second set, then defended valiantly in the next game, only to break for a 2-0 advantage with a crosscourt forehand winner. From 4-4 in the first set, Humbert stepped up and won five straight games.

Pumped up, Humbert came within a point of a 5-1 lead, but errors proved costly and Vesely found his way back to 3-4. Humbert broke for a third time, in the next game, when Vesely twice had the opportunity to strike a clean winner at 30/40. Humbert needed no second invitation and closed out his 15th victory of 2020, which began in January with his first ATP Tour title at the ASB Classic in Auckland (d. Paire).

This year, Humbert has also reached the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com semi-finals (l. to Nishioka), the New York Open quarter-finals and last week’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia third round (l. to Shapovalov). Humbert beat Fognini 7-5, 7-6(4) in the Rome second round.

In the latest profile on the 26 players to rise to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, ATPTour.com looks back on the career of Roger Federer. View Full List.

First week at No. 1: 2 February 2004
Total weeks at No. 1: 310
Year-End No. 1s: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009

At World No. 1
After lifting seven tour-level trophies in a breakthrough 2003 ATP Tour season, Federer claimed his maiden Australian Open title in 2004 to reach World No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time. The Swiss, who finished 2003 by lifting his first Nitto ATP Finals crown in Houston, leapfrogged Andy Roddick into the top spot and began a record 237-week reign on 2 February 2004. “You only become No. 1 in the world for the first time once,” said Federer. The Basel native captured 43 trophies — including 10 Grand Slam crowns — during his first spell at the top of the game. Federer has enjoyed five further stints at World No. 1, amassing a record total of 310 weeks in the top position. Between 2004 and 2009, Federer finished five of six ATP Tour seasons at the top of the FedEx ATP Rankings. The 38-year-old owns a 301-45 record as World No. 1, which includes 35 titles from 50 tour-level championship matches.

Grand Slam Highlights
Federer owns the all-time Grand Slam titles record with 20 major championship victories. The Swiss captured his first Grand Slam trophy at the age of 21 at Wimbledon in 2003, beating Mark Philippoussis in straight sets in the final. Federer owns a record eight Wimbledon crowns, which includes five straight title runs from 2003 to 2007. The 6’1” right-hander is the only player to win more than 100 matches at multiple Grand Slam events, with 101 victories at Wimbledon and 102 wins at the Australian Open. Federer has lifted six titles from seven finals in Melbourne. Between 2004 and 2008, the 103-time tour-level titlist claimed five straight US Open trophies to equal Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras’ Open Era titles record at Flushing Meadows. Federer became the sixth man to complete the Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2009, beating Robin Soderling in his fourth straight final appearance at the clay-court Grand Slam championship. “It was probably my greatest victory, I was under big pressure,” said Federer. “I did it and it’s phenomenal. It was great to be on the podium as a winner for a change.” Federer reached a record 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals between 2004 Wimbledon and 2013 Roland Garros.

Roger Federer beats Marin Cilic in straight sets to capture a record eighth Gentlemen’s Singles title at Wimbledon.” />

Nitto ATP Finals Highlights
Federer has won a record six Nitto ATP Finals trophies. The Swiss has lifted back-to-back titles at each of the tournament’s three most recent locations, winning in Houston (2003-’04), Shanghai (2006-’07) and London (2010-’11). Across those six tournament victories, Federer claimed the trophy with an undefeated 5-0 record five times. Federer also owns the record for most appearances (17) and match wins (59) at the event. “It is always one of the main goals to qualify for the year-end event,” said Federer. “I love competing there among the other top players.”

ATP Masters 1000 Highlights
Federer is third on the ATP Masters 1000 titles leaderboard with 28 crowns. The 38-year-old captured his maiden Masters 1000 trophy in Hamburg in 2002, beating Top 10 stars Gustavo Kuerten and Marat Safin en route to his first of four titles at the event. Federer’s most successful Masters 1000 event in terms of titles won is the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where he has lifted a tournament record seven crowns. With five trophies, Federer is also the joint titles leader at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells alongside Novak Djokovic. Federer has also won Masters 1000 titles in Miami, Madrid, Canada, Shanghai and Paris.

Biggest Rivalries
As a member of the ‘Big Three’, Federer has contested two major rivalries throughout his career on the ATP Tour.

With 40 FedEx ATP Head2Head clashes (Nadal leads 24-16), Federer and Rafael Nadal have captivated sports fans across the world since 2004 with their contrasting styles of play. Federer leads Nadal 11-9 in hard court meetings and owns a 3-1 advantage against the Spaniard on grass. Federer and Nadal’s rivalry continues to grow among fans and the media, as both players aim to add to their Grand Slam résumés. The two men currently occupy the top two positions in the Grand Slam titles leaderboard, with 20-time winner Federer narrowly ahead of 19-time major champion Nadal. Between 2005 and 2010, Federer and Nadal finished each ATP Tour season as the Top 2 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

“I’m his No. 1 fan, I think his game is simply tremendous,” said Federer. “He’s an incredible competitor and I’m happy we’ve had some epic battles in the past.”

Federer has met Djokovic on 50 occasions during their ATP Head2Head rivalry (Djokovic leads 27-23). The 38-year-old notched 13 victories from 19 matches against the Serbian between 2006 to 2010, including a straight-sets triumph in the 2007 US Open final. With both players aiming to end their careers at the top of the Grand Slam titles leaderboard, 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer currently leads third-placed Djokovic by three major crowns. Since 2003, Federer and Djokovic have captured a combined 14 Australian Open titles, 13 Wimbledon trophies and 11 Nitto ATP Finals crowns.

”[Djokovic] is a great, great player. We know that,” said Federer. “He makes you hit balls. He serves well, he returns well, he moves well. He’s mentally very tough. There’s so many things that can cover a problem, if there were one.”

Against his two main rivals, Federer has contested two of the greatest matches in Wimbledon history. The five-time year-end World No. 1 fell just short of a record-breaking sixth consecutive crown at SW19 in 2008, when Nadal survived two rain delays and fading light to claim his first title at the event with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 triumph.

Last year, Federer and Djokovic contested the longest Wimbledon final in history. Chasing a record-extending ninth trophy, Federer held two match points at 8-7, 40/15, in the deciding set. But Djokovic held his nerve under pressure and claimed his fifth Wimbledon title in a newly-implemented 12-12 tie-break. The Serbian completed a 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3) victory after four hours and 57 minutes.

Novak Djokovic leads Roger Federer 19-18 in hard-court encounters.” />

Legacy
One of the greatest players in history, Federer has competed at the highest level in the sport for almost two decades. Federer has inspired both tennis fans and the latest generation of players throughout his career with his attacking game style, varied skillset and fluid movement. Less than seven years after Pete Sampras captured a then-record breaking 14th Grand Slam trophy at the 2002 US Open, the Swiss overtook the American’s mark at Wimbledon in 2009 and has held the top spot in the Grand Slam titles leaderboard ever since. Federer is in second place on the tour-level titles list, narrowly trailing top-placed Jimmy Connors (109) by six trophies. Federer also trails the American in the tour-level wins category, with 1242 victories compared to Connors’ 1274 wins. Alongside fellow ‘Big Three’ members Nadal and Djokovic, Federer has increased the popularity of tennis throughout his career and become one of the most recognisable faces in sport.

Overall Match Win-Loss Record: 1242-271
Overall Titles/Finals Record: 103-54

Memorable Moment
After missing the second half of the 2016 ATP Tour season to recover from left arthroscopic knee surgery, Federer made his return to the sport at the 2017 Australian Open as the No. 17 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings. With lowered expectations, the 35-year-old beat Top 5 players Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka in five-set matches to book a final meeting against great rival Nadal. With Federer seeking his first major trophy since 2012 Wimbledon and Nadal aiming to add a first Grand Slam title to his collection since 2014 Roland Garros, the significance of the match was clear as both men attempted to add to their Grand Slam totals. “It has to be the most important match in Australian Open history and possibly Grand Slam history,” said Andy Roddick. Bidding to record his first Grand Slam victory against the Spaniard since the 2007 Wimbledon final, Federer played with consistent aggression on his backhand to turn the tables on his rival. The Basel native rallied from 1-3 down in the fifth set, winning five straight games to secure a memorable victory. After a Hawk-Eye challenge on championship point, Federer shook his arms in the air and jumped in celebration. “I’m out of words. I’d like to congratulate Rafa on an amazing comeback. There are no draws in tennis, but I would have been very happy to accept one and share it with Rafa tonight,” said Federer.

Nadal on Federer
“It’s the combination of two different styles that makes the matches really special. Both of us have a different way to play tennis [and have] a lot of good success with these two different styles. I feel that this rivalry goes not only in the tennis world. People from outside of our world talk about it and that’s good for our sport.”

Djokovic on Federer
“I have a tremendous respect for him and his game and what it presents to me. It’s an incredible record, everything he has achieved, you come out on court playing probably the best player in the history of the game, it adds a little bit of pressure. But you can always give your best.”

Federer on Federer

“When I got to World No. 1, I started to really relax because I felt what I have achieved is almost everything I ever wanted. I had a choice, did I want to stay there or was I just happy to be there once? I decided I would like to stay there.”

Broadcaster/Journalist Graeme Agars
What can be said about Roger Federer that hasn’t already been said? His record speaks for itself; his sportsmanship is immaculate; his game classic and his off-court presence is a blessing for the sport in so many ways.

One aspect of his career that is perhaps underappreciated by fans is his congeniality with the press. It would be impossible to know the last time that he played a match and didn’t attend a press conference. He’s been asked every question under the sun – in English, French, German and Swiss German – but if he finds the process tedious, he doesn’t let on. I guess if you have to spend that much time in the press room, you may as well enjoy yourself.

He will of course share his thoughts on the match he has just played, but when he’s asked to comment on pressing tennis issues, his charity work, and other substantive issues, he’ll respond with thoughtful and respectful answers.

Many times, Federer does what few do: laugh. Mostly he seems a happy person and it doesn’t take much to tickle his sense of humour. He has the ability to make even a routine press conference worth watching. There isn’t a ranking for that, but if there was, he’d definitely Top 10.

Stefanos Tsitsipas needed to draw upon all his fighting qualities on Thursday to get the better of qualifier Pablo Cuevas at the Hamburg European Open.

Second seed Tsitsipas improved to 3-0 against the 34-year-old Uruguayan 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 31 minutes for a place in the quarter-finals, where the Greek will challenge Dusan Lajovic of Serbia.

“I have a lot of respect for him. He is a very difficult opponent to face, particularly on this surface,” said Tsitsipas, in an on-court interview. “He is a good friend and one of my idols growing up. It was a great match and I enjoyed it. There was a certain point in the match when I forgot I needed to win, as I was enjoying the game and the atmosphere, the crowd. I was playing with positive vibes and energy.”

In a closely fought first set, Tsitsipas was forced to save four break points at 4-4 and another break point at 5-5, before clinching the 53-minute opener in the next game when Cuevas hit a double fault.

Cuevas, to his credit, didn’t falter, maintaining a high level of play, particularly on his single-handed backhand. But Tsitsipas stepped up when leading 5-4 in the second set to break the World No. 62 to love for his 20th match win of the season.

Lajovic played almost flawlessly on Thursday to beat eighth seed Karen Khachanov 6-1, 6-2 in 62 minutes for a place in the last eight. Lajovic hit 15 winners to extend his perfect ATP Head2Head record to 4-0 against Khachanov (8-0 in sets).

Lajovic broke for a 3-1 lead in the first set when he moved Khachanov around the court to gain an error. Khachanov’s frustration built up after he struck a forehand into the net to gift Lajovic the sixth game. Lajovic won 16 of his 19 service points in the 26-minute opener.

There were five service breaks in a row in the second set, which turned in Lajovic’s favour once Khachanov hit a forehand wide — one of 20 unforced errors for the Russian — on break point at 2-2. Lajovic extended his lead to 5-2 with a fine crosscourt forehand winner and in the next game the Serbian closed out his 13th victory of the season with a forehand approach winner.

John Peers and Henri Kontinen won 13 tour-level titles together, including two Nitto ATP Finals triumphs. But on Wednesday, they were on the opposite side of the net at the Hamburg European Open.

Peers and Michael Venus defeated Kontinen and Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-4, advancing after one hour. The reigning Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships winners saved the two break points they faced and won 67 per cent of their second-serve return points.

They will face a tough test in the second round against Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo. The third seeds snapped a three-match losing streak by defeating German wild cards Yannick Hanfmann and Mats Moraing 7-6(6), 1-6, 10-5. 

All four players competing in that quarter-final — Kubot, Melo, Peers and Venus — have won at least one Grand Slam title. It will be the first clash between the two teams.

In the only other doubles match of the day, Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Fabrice Martin beat wild cards Frederik Nielsen and Tim Puetz 7-5, 7-5 after one hour and 26 minutes. Martin is fresh off a run to the Internazionali BNL d’Italia final alongside Jeremy Chardy.

#NextGenATP American Sebastian Korda has never played a tour-level match on clay. But the 20-year-old American is one victory from qualifying for Roland Garros.

Korda eliminated 2019 New York Open finalist Brayden Schnur 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the final round of qualifying in Paris. This is his first appearance in qualifying at the clay-court Grand Slam.

“I’ve had two good matches under my belt and I’m ready to keep it going here,” Korda told RolandGarros.com. “I’m progressing slowly, but my game and results are definitely going up.”

The former junior World No. 1 won 76 per cent of his second-serve points against the Canadian and he saved the only break point he faced to triumph after one hour and 20 minutes. The Western & Southern Open qualifier, who lost in four sets against Denis Shapovalov in the first round of the US Open, was 1-3 in major qualifying matches before this week.

Aslan Karatsev” />
^{Aslan Karatsev is trying to reach his first Grand Slam main draw.}
Korda will next face red-hot Russian Aslan Karatsev, the seventh seed, who eased past Australian Open doubles finalist Max Purcell 6-4, 6-1 in 69 minutes.

The 27-year-old has dominated the ATP Challenger Tour since its resumption in August. He has won two Challenger titles and another final during that span. Karatsev’s only loss (17-1) came against former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka in Prague. The Russian has won 34 of 38 sets and is on a 15-set winning streak as he pursues his first Grand Slam main draw berth.

Fifth seed Marco Cecchinato, the 2018 Roland Garros semi-finalist, beat home favourite Constant Lestienne 6-2, 6-3 to reach the final round of qualifying. The Italian will next play Belgian Kimmer Coppejans, who ousted former World No. 24 Martin Klizan 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Dustin Brown, one of the most entertaining players on the ATP Tour, rallied past Frenchman Alexandre Muller 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. The German is trying to reach a Grand Slam main draw for the first time since the 2018 Australian Open.

Michael Mmoh” />
^{Michael Mmoh had never won a round in qualifying at Roland Garros before this week.}
Brown will have to get by Lorenzo Giustino to accomplish the feat. The Italian needed two hours and 28 minutes to defeat home favourite Hugo Grenier 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Former World No. 8 Jack Sock worked hard to win his second qualifying match in Paris, eliminating 24th seed Facundo Bagnis 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(1). The 2017 Rolex Paris Masters champion was at his aggressive best in the final-set tie-break, pushing the lefty deep in the court en route to his two-hour, nine-minute win. Sock will battle Andrey Kuznetsov, who missed nearly three years due to a hip injury, in the next round. The Russian battled past eighth seed Taro Daniel 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

Other players to advance include second seed Pedro Martinez, American Michael Mmoh and Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, who defeated 41-year-old Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 7-6(3).

We’ve seen it many times before. A lower-ranked player has a breakthrough week on the ATP Tour, only to return to the Challenger level and struggle to find the same energy and fire on the court.

Lorenzo Musetti is having no such trouble. The Italian booked his spot in the quarter-finals at the Internazionali di Tennis Citta di Forli on Wednesday, downing Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. He rallied from a break down in the deciding set to topple the top seed and World No. 67. In what has been an unforgettable nine-day stretch for the teenager, he has now secured three Top 100 wins in that span.

“I went on court knowing that the match would be very tough from the beginning,” said Musetti. “Serving at a high level became key right away. He served very well from the start and it was very difficult to break him. However, I felt that I could have my chances in the rallies and I believe I won almost all the longer points. That was a reassuring thought during the match, so even after I lost the second set and fell behind of a break in the third, I had a very positive reaction. I went up a gear and started dictating with my forehand.”

For Musetti, it would be understandable to experience a dip in energy, but he’s picked up right where he left off at the Foro Italico. Last week, in Rome, even the limited fans in attendance created an unforgettable atmosphere for Musetti in his ATP Masters 1000 debut. The 18-year-old native son fed off their passion and enthusiasm to earn his first Top 50 wins over Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori, storming into the Round of 16 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

Musetti captured all the headlines in Rome, earning instant celebrity status as he surged into the Top 200 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. One week later, the #NextGenATP star is suddenly the player to beat as he returns to action on the ATP Challenger Tour in nearby Forli.

“I feel like my shape is really good and my game is following, even the shoulder problem that I had in Rome seems to be gone. I recovered perfectly from last week and I really feel in a good form now and do not fear facing players that are ranked higher than me. Obviously, we will see in the next round.”

Musetti will bid for a fourth Top 100 win in 10 days when he faces countryman Andreas Seppi on Thursday. Fourth seed Salvatore Caruso and sixth seed Lloyd Harris also remain in a stacked top half of the draw.

A first Challenger final appearance remains the top priority for the surging 18-year-old.

“Especially with so many people out here cheering for me, it would be a little dream of mine if it comes true,” Musetti said of potentially winning his first title in Forli. “So obviously, I hope I can win the trophy this week.”

Roberto Bautista Agut battled hard on Wednesday evening at the Hamburg European Open to defeat home favourite Dominik Koepfer 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, setting a quarter-final clash against Andrey Rublev.

Bautista Agut is into the last eight at the ATP 500 in his first tournament as a father. The fourth-seeded Spaniard rallied from a break down in the third set to triumph against the Rome quarter-finalist after two hours and four minutes.

Last week, Koepfer qualified at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and advanced to his first ATP Tour quarter-final at the Foro Italico. The German was the only player to win a set against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Rome, and his confidence showed against Bautista Agut.

The German won three consecutive games from 0-2 down in the decider to lead by a break. But Bautista Agut remained consistent in side-to-side rallies, moving into the forecourt when necessary. The nine-time ATP Tour titlist broke serve seven times from 17 chances. 

Koepfer got off to a strong start in the match, but Bautista Agut tightened up his game to win five straight games from an 0-2 deficit in the first set. Koepfer once again took early control of the second set by taking a 3-1 lead, but Bautista Agut kept fighting. There were five consecutive service breaks, before Koepfer finally closed out with an unreturned serve.

There were 13 service breaks in the match and the server was broken 48 per cent of the time. Bautista Agut will try to shore that up against Rublev, who earned his 22nd match win of 2020 with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Tommy Paul in one hour and 37 minutes.

Rublev won 33 of his 40 service points, and he will try to maintain that success against Bautista Agut. The Spaniard leads their ATP Head2Head rivalry 2-1.