Lorenzo Musetti, the 22-year-old Italian sensation, pulled off a stunning upset on Friday, defeating world number three Alexander Zverev in the Vienna Open quarterfinals. Musetti’s 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory marked a significant milestone in his career and sent shockwaves through the tennis world.
Musetti, who won an Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo and reached the Wimbledon semifinals earlier this year, struggled initially against Zverev’s powerful serve and aggressive baseline play. However, he remained composed and gradually found his rhythm, exploiting Zverev’s unforced errors and dictating the pace with his precise groundstrokes.
“It didn’t start how we planned,” Musetti admitted. “I was struggling to find the right balance with my forehand and the variation of my backhand.”
But Musetti’s resilience shone through as he fought back from a set down to force a tiebreak in the second set. He then seized control of the match, breaking Zverev’s serve in the third set and holding on for a memorable victory.
“It’s a pretty big win because Sascha really loves to play here, on this court, in these conditions,” Musetti said. “But, after the first round, I was feeling in good shape and today I showed that.”
Musetti’s triumph sets up a semifinal clash with world number 18 Jack Draper, who defeated Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic in three sets. Draper, who is enjoying a breakout season, will pose a formidable challenge for Musetti, but the Italian is confident in his abilities.
“I thought the first set was really physical,” Draper said. “It’s always tough playing Tomas, he’s so solid off the ground.”
In other quarterfinal action, Australian second seed Alex de Minaur rallied from a set down to defeat Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. De Minaur will face Karen Khachanov of Russia in the semifinals, who cruised past Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in straight sets.
The Vienna Open semifinals promise to deliver thrilling tennis as the top players battle for a place in the final. Musetti’s upset victory over Zverev has injected excitement into the tournament and has further cemented his status as one of the rising stars of the sport.
