After Sinner’s retirement, Lorenzo at 13.30 finds the opponent who beat him in comeback at Roland Garros last year. Stefanos is returning to his standards, but Lorenzo can get excited
In Musetti, Tsitsipas can have the same effect as Djokovic. For what he represents, thinking about the past. A gratifying, educational and traumatic event at the same time, a possible mix on a tennis court and in few other places in this world: the comeback suffered at Roland Garros. In 2021 against Nole, last year against Stefanos. From two sets up to defeat. The young Lorenzo was left with a handful of red clay in his hand, his eyes disconsolate and the admiration of the whole tennis world. There was no need to deal with the results, now everything is different. Those who were available a few months ago must now be faced by looking each other in the eye. After beating Djokovic in Montecarlo, the match in Barcelona at 1.30pm (live from Sipertennis and Sky) against Tsitsipas can say a lot about Musetti’s career. Surely, there is more to gain than to lose: another victory against a phenomenon, moreover in the semifinal, would be invaluable.
MUSETTI IN HEALTH
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Musetti arrives fresh and confident. It would be surprising to see Lorenzo in a tired and fatigued version like against Sinner in Montecarlo. Jannik’s withdrawal gave the Carrara the possibility of reaching the semifinal without playing and taking a day off. He trained for an hour and is fine. The victories against Kubler and above all Norrie, after the tournament of the rebirth in the Principality, are confirmations that go to fill Lorenzo’s tank, which had instead seemed in reserve in the previous tournaments. And if Musetti’s game is the indicator, the sign of a malaise or well-being of the boy, the fulcrum is the head, between motivations that come and go and some difficulty in managing pressure. The victory against Norrie, in this sense, guarantees the state of health of Simone Tartarini’s student.
TSITSIPAS IS COMING BACK
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Musetti is finding himself on European clay, a terrain on which Tsitsipas also gets married. Which increases the degree of difficulty of the match. The Greek has had it easy up until here in Barcelona, he hasn’t lost a set against Cachin, Shapovalov and De Minaur. The Catalan tournament could represent Stefanos’ return to his standards: after the final at the Australian Open he dropped off a bit, suffering early defeats in Rotterdam (round of 16 against Sinner), Indian Wells and Miami, before being defeated in the quarterfinals in Montecarlo by Taylor Fritz, very strong tennis player but not a clay court specialist. The semifinal against Musetti could be the right occasion to go back to fighting for a title: the standings and the “weight” speak for the Greek, it’s useless to go around it.
ONE HANDED BACKHAND
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Watch out, though: Musetti fits well with the role of underdog. Little to lose and arm that can melt. And by the way, keep an eye on the left side: Lorenzo and Stefanos are two of the greatest exponents of the art of the one-handed backhand. Shot that tastes like a friend found, like home. It is no coincidence that both use it because of their parents: Musetti’s father routed him to one-handed shooting “because he liked it”, Tsitsipas inherited it from his father Apostolos and his mother, Julia Salnikova. For the Greek, however, the most critical point remains, the least natural blow. Pure beauty that of Lorenzo. Both have the polar star of Roger Federer, an idol that Tsitsipas had the honor of beating at the Australian Open in 2019 and that Musetti regrets never having faced. One regret that can instead be erased is that defeat at Roland Garros last year. After Djokovic, Lorenzo can also make him Tsitsipas. It could be the beginning of a new story.
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