Twenty-eight Grand Slam titles and a surprise guest, such will be the line-up for the Wimbledon semi-finals. To the twenty-four Major trophies of Novak Djokovic (qualified without playing following Alex de Minaur’s withdrawal), the three of Carlos Alcaraz and that of Daniil Medvedev, will be added the still modest list of achievements of Lorenzo Musetti.
The Italian indeed eliminated Taylor Fritz on Wednesday in the quarter-finals. He won in five sets (3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1) and 3h27. This is the first time that the world number 25 has reached the last four of a Grand Slam tournament. With Jasmine Paolini, transalpine tennis will thus have two semi-finalists this year. As at Roland-Garros, where the world number 7 was accompanied by Jannik Sinner.
Musetti’s backhand worked wonders
This quarter-final pitted two players who were very comfortable on grass this year. Winner in Eastbourne (England), Fritz was on a run of eight wins in a row. Semi-finalist in Stuttgart, then finalist at Queen’s, Musetti had won eleven of his last thirteen matches.
4
Lorenzo Musetti is the fourth Italian player in history to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon, following Nicola Pietrangeli (1960), Matteo Berrettini (2021) and Jannik Sinner (2023).
The duel was expected to be tight. It was tight in terms of form (five sets), a little less so in terms of content, where the Italian clearly imposed his much more varied tennis. Thanks to his one-handed backhand, he superbly alternated lengths, effects and angles. Fritz had to rely more on his serve. An area in which he was just average (10 aces, 61% first serves).
Musetti came close to winning the match in four sets. After an extremely sluggish start (a break in the fourth game cost him the first set), he resolutely took control of the match. To the point of leading two sets to one following 2 hours and 22 minutes.
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The quarter-final between Lorenzo Musetti and Taylor Fritz was the 37th five-set match of the tournament. A record since the beginning of the Open era (1968)
The Italian even got himself four break points at 2-all in the fourth. Fritz saved them in the nick of time. Before winning, almost to everyone’s surprise, the fourth act 6-3. But Musetti didn’t dig deep and dominated the last set. He will face Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, once morest whom he is trailing 5-1.
