Sinner, Musetti and Fognini: awesome comebacks: Italian-style Us Open. And Nadal …

Musetti enterprise with Goffin. Fognini comeback Karatsev. Sinner wins in the fifth against Altmaier. Us Open 2022, Italians ahead

Us Open 2022first round with thrills and happy ending for the Italians: Sinner, Musetti and Fognini they win in comeback. Success in the fifth set for Jannik Sinner against the number 93 Atp Atlmeier. Musetti beats Goffin (former top 10 in the ranking) in a “marathon” of 4 hours and 36 minutes, Fognini sinks Karatsev after being two sets down, disappointment for the tennis players Lucia Bronzetti and Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Us Open 2022: Sinner, Musetti and Fognini win in the fifth set. Bronzetti-Cocciaretto out

The Italian night is tinged with blue at the US Open. But how much effort. Smoothly passed the second round Matteo Berrettini in the night they reached the Roman too Jannik Sinner, Lorenzo Musetti and Fabio Fognini. Nothing to do, however, for the girls Lucia Bronzetti and Elisabetta Cocciaretto. The three Azzurri passed the round, but had to play five sets and, in the case of Musetti, the victory even came for 11-9 at the tie-break.

Sinner-Musetti-Fognini in the second round of the US Open 2022

Jannik Sinner (n.13 Atp and 11 of the draw without Djokovic and Zverev) struggled much more than expected to beat the money and talented German Daniel Altmaier (n.93): the South Tyrolean ended the match in 5-7 6-2 6-1 3-6 6-1 after more than three and a half hours of play.

Lorenzo Musetti (world number 30) demonstrated his great mental and physical growth by beating the Belgian David Goffin (n.62 Atp) for 3-6 7-5 6-4 3-6 7-6 (11-9), having to recover a break in the fifth set. Victory much suffered also for Fabio Fognini (60 Atp), who beat the Russian Aslan Karatsev (world number 38) recovering two sets: 1-6 5-7 6-4 6-1 6-4 for the 35-year-old Ligurian tennis player.

In the women’s field, however, only bad news: Lucia Bronzetti (# 59 in Wta) retired on the score of 6-4 6-7 4-5 leaving free field to the American Lauren Davis (# 105 Wta). Elisabetta Cocciaretto (n.99 in the world), finally, she had to bow to the Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich (n.32 WTA) who won with a clear 6-2 6-4.

Fognini comeback to Nadal now: remembering that sensational comeback victory at the Us Open against Rafa

Fabio Fognini he gives himself another thrilling feat at the Us Open. The 35-year-old from Liguria recovers the disadvantage of two sets to the Russian, who plays without a flag, Aslan Karatsev (number 38 Atp), closing 1-6 5-7 6-4 6-1 6-4 in 3 hours and 34 minutes what is his ninth comeback of this kind in his career: a thrill specialist. The great thing is that with this result you not only gain access to the second round of the US Open 2022 but also the opportunity to face tomorrow, certainly on an important stage (the Arthur Ashe stadium?), Nothing that Rafael Nadalin turn winner at the debut of the young Australian Rinky Hijikata (4-6 6-2 6-3 6-3 the score), on the draw thanks to a wild card. And here the memories are crowded, not only those of the 17 direct clashes (13 victories of the Spaniard, 4 of the blue) but above all those of the fantastic match of 2015, right on the concrete of the Us Open, in which Fabio made the most unforgettable of his comebacks, winning the only victory over the Spaniard away from the clay courts. It was the third round and the blue, who started two sets below, turned the game upside down like an omelette, ending a magical day 3-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4. A success that brought the blue to the second round in New York for the first time and forced the Spaniard to close, after a decade of success, his first season without Grand Slam titles. An unprecedented feat because never in his career had NADAL made himself come back and beaten in a match in which he had started two sets ahead. But you know, the face to face between the blue (now number 60 in the world) and the Majorcan (number 3 who could take back the throne of number 1 by winning his 23rd Grand Slam) have always been special also because Fognini he is one of the few in the world capable of beating the winner of 14 Roland Garros and 10 Internazionali d’Italia, more than once on clay, a surface on which he is undoubtedly the best player of all time. And therefore also the confrontation that awaits us this time in New York is peppery. Fognini knows how he fights NADAL. And the Spaniard is aware of this.

Musetti beats Goffin in the fifth set of the Us Open: Lorenzo’s comeback enterprise

He lies on the ground, moved. He gets up, spreads his arms towards the fans, as if to embrace them all. His heart beats to the rhythm of tennis, as told by the tattoo that frames his bicep. Lorenzo Musetti, number 30 in the world and seeded number 26, thus celebrates his first victory in the fifth set of the season. Thus he opened his Us Open, beating the former Belgian Top 10 David Goffin, today number 62 ATP, 3-6 7-5 6-4 3-6 7–6 (11-9). He won a game that seemed hopelessly lost, when Goffin moved up two breaks in the fifth and came within two points of success. In the most difficult conditions, in the most important tournaments, it is the habits gained in training that make the difference. And those habits for Musetti obviously evolved after the title won in Hamburg, in the final over Carlos Alcaraz, less than two months ago. Musetti had a decrease in intensity, including physical at the beginning of the fourth set, but compared to the defeats in Paris against Novak Djokovic a year ago e Tsitsipas a few months ago, there is no story. The blue does not leave the game, and indeed finds a way to rekindle, to get back in the wake, so as not to lose hope. Goffin closes with a better percentage return on the serve, scores more points with the first (47% against 46%) and with the second (66% against 52%). He wins more points in return and scores 19 more winners (59 against 40). But he also commits 19 more free tickets (80 against 61) and at the time of closing he is missing something. The Belgian, former world number 7 after the final at the ATP Finals 2017, his best season, experienced successes, doubts about injuries, joy for this year’s rebirth with the sixth ATP title in Marrakech and the most recent of his four quarter-finals in a Grand Slam, at Wimbledon.

He sailed impassively in a game that changed its face, which began in the sun, humid heat and a strong wind, and ends under artificial lights while on theArthur Ashe the evening session has already started. He attacked with the serve and with the forehand until he saw the finish line of the victory one step away, then a hint of what seemed to be hand cramps and his not exactly cynical finishing skills changed history. And his strong strokes have become the weak links in his game. MUSETTI he starts better but is the first to suffer a break, in the sixth game of the first set. It is a signal. Throughout the match, however, the blue struggled in response to read the trajectories of the Belgian’s first serve. He stays off the back row with his feet, but his position isn’t the only deciding factor. MUSETTI often resorts to the backhand solution with a blocked wrist which often leads him to play shorter and does not facilitate the task of returning to the field. Moreover, the wind increases the difficulties and frustration of MUSETTI who also closes the first set with the same winners as Goffin (8) but gets only four points in the last three games. In the second set, the game continues in waves, like the wind that cuts the field and moves the ball. The first three games end with three breaks. MUSETTI extends 3-1, with evident satisfaction in the stands for the coach Simone Tartarini and for Umberto Rianna, the Under 18 manager of the Italian Tennis Federation who accompanied him for the first time in an ATP tournament in the triumphal week in Hamburg. Missing a chance for a double break, however, MUSETTI again pays for some hasty choice. So from the possible 4-1 he finds himself on 3-3: the double fault on the break ball causes the anger of the Carrarino who slams the racket to explode. We proceed shoulder to shoulder, with more errors than acute, up to the new tear of MUSETTI for the 6-5 and service favored by a free in length of the Belgian.

The Tuscan goes to serve against the wind to close the partial and in the end, even with the help of a benevolent gust, he makes it after 61 minutes of unspectacular play. But the what, in these conditions, is more important than the how. After a joint stop of eight minutes that the two players need to go to the bathroom and change, the game resumes with a similar trend. The two push well from the bottom, the Carrarino is saved in the fourth game, which lasted after 12 points, in which he cancels two break points. But he’s the one who accelerates when he matters most. He sets the break to go up 4-3, defends the advantage and closes 6-4 with an ace from second and a first serve, winning in the last two points. Surprisingly enough, however, he quickly drops in physical intensity early in the fourth. And he won’t recover. The best winners of the blue remain spectacular, draws passers-by and lobs for applause, but the thread of the game is in the hands of his opponent. He still has a chance to get the game back on its feet, but Goffin saves three break points before moving up 5-2 in the fourth set and stretching shortly thereafter to the fifth. The new break immediately in the first game seems to address the set and the match. The Belgian climbs 5-2 and serves, MUSETTI looks dejected towards the corner. He throws away two answers in the first three points of the eighth game: it seems over. Instead it is only the beginning. MUSETTI signs two breaks in a row with the opponent who serves for the match, goes back up to 5-5 but risks ruining everything. He suffers the break and Goffin goes for the third time to serve to close. It is not enough. We go to the tiebreak: in the fifth set, you have to score ten points. The trend is similar to the rest of the partial. Goffin, who continues to stretch his fingers between one point and another, takes a considerable advantage: first 5-2, then 7-4 after two wrong answers from MUSETTI on which, with another ending, anger would have concentrated of the fans. Instead the Carrarino does not give up and hooks him on 7-7 winning one of the first points of the game with the short ball, played towards the Belgian’s backhand, forced to make a mistake. He will play another one, at the same point, and will take the lead for the first time in the whole tiebreak: 9-8, match point. Goffin saves him with the last winner of his game, then there is only MUSETTI who draws with the backhand and jeopardizes the heart of coach Tartarini. In the next round the blue will face Gijs Brouwer, Dutch born in the United States, number 181 in the world. On his debut in a Grand Slam, Brouwer surprised 63 64 64 the French Adrian Mannarino, who arrived in New York in the wake of the second ATP title won in Winston-Salem

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