Alexander Zverev advances to Madrid Open quarterfinal after Musetti retires

It was a very short match between Alexander Zverev and Lorenzo Musetti at the 2022 Madrid Open, lasting only 38 minutes, ending with the Italian player retiring due to an injury.

Prior to this match, both players showed a really high level at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in the Spanish capital. While the Italian qualifier outplayed Ilya Ivashka in three sets and Sebastian Korda in two sets, the second-seeded German bested former major winner Marin Cilic in three sets.

Their third-round match opened well for both. They both showed no struggle on their serves early on, with the Italian player leading 3-2 after five games of play.

However, things changed after that, as Zverev increased the level with his stellar shot-making, some of the best he had flashed in a very long time. At about that time, Musetti injured his leg during one slide, and he was seen trying to shake it off and grimacing in pain.

Zverev dominated the remainder of the opening set, winning four games in a row to win it 6-3, as Musetti struggled to move around the court. The Italian took a medical time-out, receiving a massage and heavy bandaging.

He played one more game at the start of the second set, but it was quickly apparent that he couldn't move without pain. He grimaced with every move and struggled to catch balls, losing that game to love.

Zverev noticed the Italian's hindered movement and looked a few times towards his opponent as Musetti opted to retire at 6-3, 1-0 for the second-seeded player, who will now play in the quarter-finals of the tournament against the winner of the match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jannik Sinner.

On the other hand, Musetti will hope that the injury is not severe. The Italian Open in Rome is around the corner, and Musetti would like to play there fully healthy.

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