Lorenzo Musetti battles past Adrian Mannarino, advances to Chengdu SFs | ATP Tour

Match Report

Musetti battles past Mannarino, advances to Chengdu SFs

Qualifier Kachmazov upsets Jarry

September 22, 2024

Can Lorenzo Musetti forge a late surge to a Nitto ATP Finals debut?

Top seed Musetti overcame Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday to advance to the semi-finals at the Chengdu Open.

The Italian, who was a semi-finalist last year in Chengdu, struck 23 winners to take his Lexus ATP Head2Head record against the Frenchman to 1-1. The No. 19 in the PIF ATP Rankings also saved three of the four break points against him to close out the match in two hours, 16 minutes.

The 22-year-old Musetti recorded a personal best 35th win of the season. The Italian is 15th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, but has moved within 915 points of eighth-placed Alex de Minaur following his victory against Mannarino. Musetti has now reached six semi-finals in his past eight tour-level events.

2023 – SF
2024 – SF

(1) @Lorenzo1Musetti returns to the Last 4 in Chengdu 6-2 5-7 6-2@ChengduOpen | #ChengduOpen pic.twitter.com/zXBtjkztj2

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 22, 2024

“I think today was a really great match from both players, he [Mannarino] raised the level the second set and he was starting to serve better and giving me less chances to break him and go forward,” Musetti said in his post-match interview. “So I had to be really focused each point to make it happen and at 2-2 [in the final set] when I made the break, that was the key moment that probably changed the match.”

Musetti will next face qualifier Alibek Kachmazov in the semi-finals.

Kachmazov upset third seed Nicolas Jarry 6-3, 6-4 to record the biggest win of his career and advance to his maiden Tour-level semi-final.

The No. 252 in the PIF ATP Rankings lost just one point on serve in the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He is the lowest-ranked semi-finalist in tournament history.

“I’m playing very good, very solid this week. So I’m hoping I can continue this way,” Kachmazov said after the match. “Today was a little bit better, it was a little bit easier to play long rallies and just a perfect day again.

“It’s an amazing week here for me already but I hope not to stop and not to think about it too much, and just continue to play”.