Lorenzo Musetti came back from one set down to beat China’s world number 67 Bu Yunchakoete 4-6 7-5 6-3 after 2 hours and 38 minutes in the first round of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.
Musetti hit 36 winners to 45 unforced errors and won 71% of his first serve points. Bu earned an early break at 15 when Musetti made a forehand error in the first game. Bu did not face a break point in his next games to win the first set 6-4.
Bu went up a set and a break as Musetti hit a drop-shot into the net. The Chinese saved a break-back point in the sixth game with a drop-shot. Musetti broke back in the eighth game, as Bu hit a forehand into the net. Musetti earned a second break with a backhand return in the 12th game to close out the second set 7-5.
Musetti converted a break point in the sixth game of the third set as Bu made a forehand error. The Italian player did no look back and sealed the win on his first match point.
Musetti beat Novak Djokovic en route to the quarter final in Monte-Carlo in 2023.
Musetti set up a second round match against Jiri Lehecka, who beat Sebastian Korda 6-3 7-6 (9-7). Lehecka earned an early break in the second game and held serve at love to open up a 3-0 lead. The Czech player saved a break point in the fifth game at deuce to open up a 4-1 lead and served out on his second set point in the ninth game.
Lehecka went up a set and a break in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Korda broke straight back to draw level to 3-3. Lehecka earned an early mini-break to open up a 5-2 lead. Korda pulled back on serve to draw level to 5-5. Lehecka won the final three points to clinch the tie-break 9-7.
Lehecka is playing his first tournament on clay since he reached the semifinals in Madrid last season.
Gael Monfils came back from one set down to beat Fabian Maroszan 4-6 6-1 6-1.
Maroszan saved two break points in the fourth game of the first set before breaking serve in the ninth game to win the first set 6-4.
Monfils broke twice in the fourth and sixth games to seal the second set 6-1. The 38-year-old earned three breaks in the third, fifth and seventh games to seal the third set 6-1. Monfils reached the third round in Indian Wells in the fourth round in Miami in the first two tournaments of the 2025 season.