Lorenzo leaves the world number 44 Spaniard with no chance: 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 in one hour and 37 minutes. Now he awaits the winner of Sinner-Bublik
No Broadway, Lorenzo Musetti’s show is staged at Flushing Meadows, Queens. The Italian number 2 overwhelms Jaume Munar, the 28-year-old Spaniard who trains at the Nadal Academy, 6-3, 6-0, 6-3, and reaches the quarterfinals in New York for the first time. Not only that, he joins Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner in the club of Italians who have reached this level in the Slams on three different surfaces. On paper, Munar, despite having slipped into the Top 50, could have been a source of trouble for Lorenzo. The last time they met on hard court, at the Hong Kong tournament earlier this year, Musetti lost to the Majorcan, falling behind 2-1 in their previous encounters.
Munar, nicknamed Jimbo (like Connors) for his provocative character, didn’t even have time to think. Lorenzo dictated the pace from the first to the last point, with power and variety, supported by his serve and his box, which cheered him on throughout the match with cries of “Bravo Lore” and “Bellissimo Lore.” Tartarini has been coaching him since he was nine years old, and his partner Veronica, who is pregnant but never wants to miss a match, is also there. Musetti’s strength also lies here, in his magic circle, which is accompanying him in the delicate transition from boy to man, father and mature player. “Lorenzo needs to realize how strong he is,” said his longtime friend Flavio Cobolli after losing to him in the third round.
head— Who knows, perhaps this awareness will help him improve even further in New York, where he was a junior finalist before going on to win the Australian Open. On the way, he could face an insurmountable obstacle in Jannik Sinner, in a dream derby never before seen at this level in America. The match itself has little to say, it was a showdown between the Carrarino and the Spaniard, who was perhaps feeling under the weather as he was coughing frequently. The first two sets were uneventful: the result was decided early in the first set with Munar messing up his forehand and going down 15-30, then with a double fault he gave two break points to the Italian (15-40), who immediately scored. From that moment on, Lorenzo continued to climb, confusing the Spaniard by hiding the ball like a magician, confirming the break 3-1 and closing with a second break for 6-2. In the second set, Munar had no weapon to counter Lorenzo, who played as he pleased. He changed the rhythm, the pace, the angles. As if in a blender, the 28-year-old Spaniard fails to hold a single service game and Musetti sits down with a clean 6-0. The third set opens with a small lapse by the Tuscan, who in the third game commits two forehand errors, 0-30, commits a double fault and concedes three break points to Munar. He manages to neutralize them all, and a fourth comes, but again the first saves him. He holds serve, shouts “Bravo!” and nods his head, as if to say that in addition to his magic touch, he now also has the ability to stay focused without getting caught up in the frenzy. He immediately breaks Munar’s serve to go up 3-1 and then falters a little in the fifth game, where he goes to deuce before extending his lead to 5-1 with another break and closing out the set 6-1. Now all that remains is to dream of an all-Italian derby, as Musetti will face the winner of Sinner-Bublik.
