Lorenzo Musetti made it to the semi-finals of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships after besting Taylor Fritz in a five-set battle.
Neither of these players ever played in a major semi-final before, so they fought really fiercely on the Wimbledon's Court 1. It was the only quarter-final men's match of the day after Alex de Minaur's withdrawal.
The match started much better for the Italian player, who had two break points already in the opening game of the match. However, he couldn't use either of the chances, and the same didn't apply to his opponents a few games later, as Fritz broke first to lead 3-1 in the opener.
The American then had one more break point, but even despite failing to convert it, it didn't have to bother him, as he won the opening set 6-3 to jump into an early lead.
The match developed even better for Fritz early in the second set, as he started it by breaking opponent's serve. However, he lost his serve immediately after and was then broken once more to face a 3-5 deficit.
Still, the 13th seed was able to immediately break back and also save a set point in the following game to force a tie-break, but that didn't go his way after he lost his very first serve and the tie-break 5-7.
With the momentum from the previous set, Musetti was highly motivated and it showed on how he played in the third set. He had two break points in the set and used both to win the set 6-2.
The American player was just too passive, and that was the main aspect of his game that he changed going into the fourth set. He was much more aggressive and it paid off, as he won 15 winners, breaking his opponent once and winning the set 6-3 to force the decider.
Still, it wasn't enough for him to win the match. Musetti brought great intensity into the fifth set, outplaying his opponent in what was the most dominant set of the match to win it 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
Already playing in the major quarter-final was the highlight of the Italian's career, but now he pushed it even further by securing a Grand Slam semi-final, and after the match, he was lost for words.
"I have no words. It’s tough to speak but I’ll try my best. I think I haven’t realized yet what I’ve done. Thanks to all the people and Italian crowd who are here to support."
Musetti's next opponent will be Novak Djokovic, who received a walkover to the semi-final after Alex de Minaur's withdrawal, and the Italian player is aware of the challenge that his opponent will represent, especially on the Wimbledon's Centre Court.
"He probably knows better than me the surface and stadium. Jokes aside he’s a legend everywhere… but here at Wimbledon in the last years, he made something really unthinkable for anyone."
"I’ve had the chance to play against him a lot of times. We know each other well. They’ve always been huge fights. I expect a big, big fight. I think it’s gonna be one of the toughest challenges. But I’m an ambitious guy and I liked to be challenged. I’ll try my best. I’ll put my 100% effort. Let’s see what’s gonna happen."
Lorenzo Musetti vs Taylor Fritz Match Stats:
| Lorenzo Musetti | Taylor Fritz | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Aces | 10 |
| 3 | Double Faults | 1 |
| 61% | First Serve % | 61% |
| 76% (63/83) | Points Won After First Serve % | 65% (57/88) |
| 54% (29/54) | Points Won After Second Serve % | 57% (32/56) |
| 46% (6/13) | Break Point Conversion | 44% (4/9) |
| 35 | Winners | 41 |
| 39 | Unforced Errors | 55 |
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