Lorenzo Musetti sinks Alexander Zverev in Vienna

Match Report

Musetti downs Zverev with gripping Vienna comeback

Italian to face Draper in semi-finals at ATP 500

October 25, 2024

e|motion| Bildagentur Zolles KG | Michael Meindl

Lorenzo Musetti digs deep to advance the semi-finals at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
By Jerome Coombe

Lorenzo Musetti battled back from the brink of defeat to book his spot in the semi-finals at the Erste Bank Open.

In an absorbing clash with top seed Alexander Zverev, the Italian dug deep to prevail 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 after two hours, 36 minutes. Musetti produced some of his most scintillating tennis to rally from 0/3 in the second-set tie-break, before pulling to a commanding lead in the decider.

“It didn’t start how we planned, I was struggling to find the right balance with my forehand and the variation of my backhand,” said Musetti, who moved to 2-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “But I stayed there, even when he came back in the second, I saved a lot of break points at 5-5. It’s definitely a match that means a lot to me.

“It’s a pretty big win [in my career], because Sascha really loves to play here, on this court, in these conditions. But, after the first round, I was feeling in good shape and today I showed that.”

𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄 😤@Lorenzo1Musetti upsets the No. 1⃣ seed in Vienna to reach the SFs 👏#ErsteBankOpen | @ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/rIjJpVNxVf
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 25, 2024

Musetti found himself behind on the scoreboard for much of the match, but once he surged in front in the deciding set, he never looked back. The 22-year-old struck 35 winners and saved eight out of 12 break points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to earning the biggest hard-court win of his career.

Zverev, the No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings and 2021 Vienna champion, rattled off three consecutive games from 1-4 in the second set to shift the momentum in his favour, but Musetti hung tight to reach his 17th tour-level semi-final.

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Musetti will face seventh seed Jack Draper for a spot in the championship match in Vienna. The 22-year-old was forced to battle hard, but overcame Tomas Machac 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in two hours, six minutes. With both players struggling physically, Draper found an extra level in the deciding set to surge into an eighth tour-level semi-final.

“I thought the first set was really physical. It’s always tough playing Tomas, he’s so solid off the ground,” said Draper, who improved to 2-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “I felt I had chances in the second set, but it was more of a mental battle [than a physical one].

“I felt like my energy dropped, my decision making became up and down. I knew I had to reset. At this level, you can’t get away with spending too long in that situation. So, I’m really proud of the way I competed.”

After a stellar season, during which he claimed his maiden ATP Tour title in Stuttgart and reached the semi-finals at the US Open, Draper is up to a new career-high of No. 17 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Lorenzo Musetti sinks Alexander Zverev in Vienna | ATP Tour