Paolo Lorenzi is the definition of a grinder. At the age of 35 the Italian has moved into and then beyond the third round of a grand slam for the first time in his career.
Lorenzi is essentially a career Challenger circuit player who has specialised in taking part in events on the lower circuit. with 18 Challenger titles, Lorenzi is one of the most decorated players at that level, along with Yen-Hsun Lu and Dudi Sela. He constantly makes the main draws of grand slams, but had never made it past round two before this US Open. Consider that before Wimbledon, ranked No.33 he elected to play a Challenger in Caltanissetta. Whilst Lorenzi’s presence at Challengers is not a surprise, indeed it is almost expected, to see the World No.33, a player who likely would see himself seeded in a grand slam, play a Challenger is a rare event.
He has had a good draw at this US Open, battling typically past the talented but volatile Portuguese Joao Sousa before stunning 19th seed Gilles Muller in the second round. Muller is in the middle of a career season so the win for Lorenzi against a fellow veteran, who possesses a vicious leftie serve surprised some. He then followed up the Muller shock with a professional win over Thomas Fabbiano.
For Lorenzi does not appear to have a typical weapon. He does not have a big serve, in fact it is not uncommon to see him double fault more times than he than he hits aces. His forehand does not blow players away and nor does his backhand. He is right-handed and does not have especially special skills at net.
Yet the veteran Italian has weapons. He simply would not be ranked at No.40 in the world if he did not. His strength in consistency. Put simply, Lorenzi will not miss on his own merit. The Italian favours a brand of supreme consistency. This is a style that often sees him fall against big names but ensures his success at Challengers and especially on clay.
A good example of Lorenzi’s skill is his recent match on his least favoured surface at Wimbledon. Lorenzi, seeded No.32 played another clay player ,Horacio Zeballos, in the first round. After the first two sets were traded, Lorenzi came back from a 6-2 deficit to win a crucial third set. Zeballos raised his game at times, but Lorenzi maintained the more consistent level and it is what won him a rare victory on grass.
Lorenzi may have defeated Sousa, Muller and Fabbiano (the latter providing his first straight sets win at the tournament) in New York, but his next opponent is the resurgent Kevin Anderson. One positive for Lorenzi is that facing Fabbiano in the third round, a stage that neither player had ever experienced before, he took the pressure right in stride. It was a match that surprisingly many would have considered Lorenzi the favourite going into, but he used his experience to prevail in impressive fashion.
Anderson is a tough opponent, and has big weapons and a big game. A potent serve with good movement for a big man, he may prove too much for Lorenzi to handle, with Lorenzi having never beaten the tall South African. Even if Anderson does get the better of him, Lorenzi’s week has been fine reward for a fighter who has battled hard throughout his career. Who knows with a little luck an unlikely first grand slam quarter-final might just be around the corner.
