Another derby: “What can I say? At least two Italians are guaranteed to advance to the third round.” Lorenzo Musetti welcomes with a smile the challenge that in the second round of Wimbledon will put him in front of Luciano Darderi. “It’s nice even if we would have preferred to meet later – he admits – . I’ve only played with him once, in Turin, on clay, in completely different conditions. Today he won a good match but I don’t want to focus on the next match, I prefer to think about the good things that happened today, the reaction that I’m proud of because the match wasn’t easy, because of how he was going, because of the conditions, because of the interruptions”. Against the Frenchman Lestienne, the tennis player from Carrara had to overcome great difficulties: “He played well, he has annoying tennis and when you don’t feel the ball well he has the weapons to wrap you up tennis-wise – he explains – . The confrontation with Simone during the interruption helped me, he told me to push more on my serve because at the beginning it was little more than a throw-in, and in the exchange I was never convinced. Then it went better on the return side, I tried to move a little towards the out side, it was an angle that he liked, and it worked because I took away his certainties on the serve. In the second set there was a stormy ending, the two set points but above all my nervousness. I was more present in the match but I couldn’t unlock myself, and winning it was a great relief that then helped me in the third and fourth sets where I played with more authority”.
In addition to the derby with Darderi, Musetti analyzes the challenge that will close the program on Center Court tomorrow: “Surprised if Berrettini beats Sinner? Anything can happen in this sport and what happened today in the Rublev match proved it. Matteo has the characteristics to cause problems for anyone. Furthermore, he gives his best when he comes back from a break. He has great ease in returning to a high level even when he has been out for a long time. I have no expectations, may the best man win, but I am sure it will be a good match. It will be very mental”. The days of Wimbledon are decidedly different for Musetti on this occasion: “It is a great feeling to have my family here with me, my son and my partner, together with the team… there is an air of home. I come on foot to the club, and for the life we lead it is unusual. It makes you go back to being a normal person and not a nomad like we usually are. Coming home in the evening and finding everyone there is priceless”.
MUSETTI-LESTIENNE, THE MATCH IN BRIEF
A dull Musetti struggles with the first serve and loses the break to love in the third game. Many errors in the first set of the Carrara player who slips down 1-3 15-40 but rebels at the prospect of a second break in a row, increases the variety of shots and stays afloat. But the expected reaction does not arrive and Lestienne remains ahead. A winning serve completes the game to love that closes the first set.
The music doesn’t change in the second set. Against the world number 90, Musetti doesn’t change pace. Lestienne doesn’t give him rhythm and again signs the break in the third game (1-2) with a bit of luck that helps the bold, see the tape that kisses the short ball with which he earns the break point. “Terrible!” Musetti shouts at the end of the game. A couple of games later, the match is suspended due to rain.
At the restart we see a different Musetti, more explosive and reactive in response: ready, go and it’s an immediate break (3-3). The quality of the match, however, does not improve compared to the first half. Musetti immediately loses his serve (3-4) and tends to lose ground in the exchange, despite the Frenchman putting in few first serves and being for this reason certainly more attackable. He still gets a gift from Lestienne who suffers a second immediate counter-break after a 16-point game concluded with his second double fault (4-4). Once again Musetti does not take advantage of the opportunity to overtake. Lestienne serves to close, misses two set points then, thanks to a new double fault, extends the list of breaks (5-5): the fifth in a row in as many games played after the interruption. Musetti is the first to hold serve, moreover after Lestienne has missed two break points (6-5). It goes to a tie-break. A double fault and a forehand error by Lestienne give Musetti the chance to open the tie-break with a double mini-break advantage (3-0) and on the second set point the Italian puts the match in parity. In the set he played more points in attack according to the Wimbledon algorithm, he scored 17 winners to 14 and committed 19 unforced errors to 21.
In the third set Musetti earns two breaks of advantage and goes up 3-0 and serve. Despite more than one missed 4-0 chance, the Italian gives back one of the breaks of disadvantage. Lestienne, however, decidedly negative and listless, does not take advantage of it. In fact, he seems to have his head already in the fourth set. The game is suspended due to rain with Musetti ahead 5-1 in the fourth set, one game away from victory. The Italian, as in the third set, is in full control of the game while the Frenchman shows increasing signs of negativity. Launched by a break to love for 2-1, Musetti has played more and more freely even with the shots at the start of the game. Musetti closes the match in a couple of games. The liberating ace on the match point and the scream that accompanies it demonstrate how much this match can count for the Italian (A.Mastroluca)
LIVE SCORE
ORDER OF PLAY
SINGULAR MALE
SINGULAR FEMALE
MEN’S DOUBLE
WOMEN’S DOUBLE
MEN’S QUALIFICATIONS
WOMEN’S QUALIFICATIONS
2024-07-02 19:39:02
#Court #family #Musettis #special #Wimbledon #priceless
