Musetti Recovers From 'Crazy End' For Lyon Semi-final Spot
Lorenzo Musetti raised his level at the right time on Friday to reach his third ATP Tour semi-final at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon.
The 19-year-old #NextGenATP Italian recovered from 2-5 down in the second set, and served for the match at 6-5 before a concentration lapse, en route to a 6-3, 7-6(2) victory over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia in one hour and 34 minutes.
“It was a crazy end,” said Musetti, the youngest player in the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. “I was 6-5 up, and at 30/30 played a really bad volley and hit an underarm serve. Sometimes I go out of my mind. I am really proud of myself as I was 2-5 down in the second set and I stayed focused. I tried to play each point at my best.”
The World No. 82, who reached the semi-finals at the 2020 Sardinia Open and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco, will next challenge top-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas or Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan on Saturday. Tsitsipas beat Musetti 6-1, 6-3 in Acapulco two months ago.
[WATCH LIVE 1]Musetti struck a forehand drop shot winner to break for a 3-2 advantage in the first set, and while the Italian couldn’t convert a set point on Bedene’s serve at 5-2, he clinched the 39-minute opener after Bedene hit a backhand drop shot into the net.
Bedene bounced back immediately, winning 12 of the first 15 points en route to a 3-0 lead. The Slovenian led 5-2, before Musetti started his four-game comeback that ended when he inexplicably hit an underarm serve at 6-5, 30/40, which Bedene pounced upon. From 2/2 in the tie-break, Musetti won five straight points for his 12th win of the season (12-6).
Bedene, who is now 11-9 on the year, had been attempting to reach his first ATP Tour semi-final since a run to the Moselle Open final (l. to Tsonga) in September 2019.