Lorenzo Musetti saved four match points in his 6-1 1-6 7-6 (10-8) win over Daniel Evans after a dramatic tie-break of the third set at the Sardegna Open in Cagliari.
Musetti went up a double break in the second and fourth games and saved two break points to win the first set 6-1.
Evans earned two consecutive breaks to race out to a 4-0 lead in the second set. Musetti pulled one break back at love in the fifth game, but Evans broke for the third time to win the second set 6-1 forcing the match to the decider.
At 4-4 in the decider Musetti saved two break points, which would have enabled Evans to serve for the match. Evans saved a match point at 5-6 with a forehand drop-shot to hold serve at deuce forcing the third set to the tie-break. Musetti saved three of the four match points he faced before converting his second match point with another forehand drop-shot winner.
Musetti claimed 12 tour-level wins and seven of these victories against top 35 players. He is aiming to reach the third ATP Tour semifinal of his career following his runs to the top four at the 2020 Sardegna Open and in 2021 Acapulco. He has received a wildcard to play in the main draw of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.
“It was really tough. I was 3-6 down in the tie-break and he was playing good, always going to the net and always aggressive. I tried to stay calm and play each point, That is what I did and it worked, so I am really happy and proud of myself with this win. The secret for me is not to think about the Top 35 Ranking, to just play them like other opponents. I try to play my game, and play as good as I can. That is what I did. With them, I always play good. I don’t know why. I have no pressure and I feel free. I have no pressure to win and today was the same”, said Musetti.
Musetti will face either Laslo Djere, who beat John Millman 6-3 6-3 with four breaks of serve.
Lorenzo Sonego cruised past Gilles Simon 6-4 6-1. Simon went up an early break in the third game of the first set to take a 2-1 lead after a double fault from Sonego. The Italian player broke straight back to draw level to 2-2. Sonego earned a break in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead with a forehand inside-in. Simon pulled back on serve in the ninth game, but Sonego converted his second break point with his forehand in the 10th game at deuce to close out the first set 6-4.
Simon saved three break points in his first service game of the second set. Sonego broke serve in the fourth game to open up a 3-1 lead and saved three break points at deuce to hold serve after five deuces in a marathon fifth game. The 25-year-old player came back from 15-40 down to break serve at deuce and served out the win on his match point.
Germany’s Yannik Hanfmann fended off both break points he faced to edge 2018 Roland Garros semifinalist Marco Cecchinato 7-5 6-1. Cecchinato missed a break point at 4-3 and dropped his serve in the 11th game to lose the first set 7-5. Hanfmann broke three times in the first, third and seventh games to win the second set 6-1.
Italian brothers Matteo and Jacopo Berrettini have moved into the semifinals with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win over Tret Huey from France and Frederick Nielsen from Denmark with three breaks of serve. The Italian team will face Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Argentina’s Andres Molteni.
