Lorenzo Musetti advanced to the quarter finals at the Grand Prix Hassan II with a 6-1 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 win over Carlos Taberner after 2 hours and 59 minutes following his 7-5 (7-6) 6-1 win over Albert Ramos Vinolas in the opening round.
Musetti fended off six of the seven break points he faced and won 64% of his second serve points.
Musetti player set up a quarter final match against Laslo Djere, who beat Tunisian wild-card Malek Jaziri 6-4 6-2.
The Italian Next Gen player earned an early break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. Taberner broke straight back in the third game. Musetti won the final four games with two breaks in the fourth and sixth games to seal the first set 6-1.
Taberner earned a break point at 0-1 and three consecutive break points at 2-3 in the second set. Musetti was not able to convert three break points at 5-5. The tie-break started with three consecutive mini-breaks. Taberner took a 2-1 lead and sealed the tie-break 7-3 with his third mini-break.
Musetti earned a break in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. Taberner rallied from 0-30 down to hold serve at deuce in the eighth game. Musetti served out the win at 15 in the ninth game.
David Goffin overcame Damir Dzumhur 6-2 7-6 (7-3) to reach the second round. Goffin broke twice in the second and eighth games to win the first set 6-2.
Both players traded breaks in the fifth and sixth games and held their next service games en route to the tie-break. Goffin earned an early mini-break to take a 2-0 lead. Dzumhur broke back for 2-3. Goffin won four of the next five points with two mini-breaks to seal the tie-break 7-3.
“It was not easy. I started very well getting an early breaking the first set. The opening set was really with some good groundstrokes, with serving well, really precise. The second set it was a little bit tougher. I started to serve a little bit some double faults, some missed first serves, so he had a chance to come in the rally more often and then he had time to go for more drop shots, to dictate a little bit more in the second”, said Goffin.
