Lorenzo Musetti
, the 25th seed from Italy, achieved a significant milestone in his career by advancing to his maiden Grand Slam semifinal at
Wimbledon
on Wednesday.
Musetti secured his spot in the last four after a hard-fought, five-set battle against the 13th-seeded American,
Taylor Fritz
. Musetti emerged victorious with a score of 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
"I probably played my best
tennis
at the end today," Musetti was quoted by AFP.
In the semis, Musetti will face a formidable opponent in
Novak Djokovic
, the seven-time Wimbledon champion. Djokovic, who was scheduled to play Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals, received a walkover into his 13th Wimbledon semifinal when the Australian withdrew due to a hip injury.
Djokovic holds a dominant 5-1 head-to-head record against the young Italian prodigy, Musetti. Their most recent encounter took place at the French Open last month, where Djokovic showcased his resilience by staging a remarkable comeback victory in a grueling five-set battle.
Musetti had pushed Djokovic to his limits at Roland Garros in 2021 as well, when Musetti won the first two sets in the round-of-16 match. However, his hopes of causing a monumental upset were dashed when an unfortunate injury hindered his performance in the decisive set.
"Djokovic knows the stadiums here better than me," said Musetti. "He's a legend everywhere and has done unthinkable things. We've played lots of times and I expect a huge fight. It's the toughest challenge in tennis but I am an ambitious guy and I like to be challenged. I will give 100 percent."
Musetti, who has been tested in his Wimbledon campaign this year, found himself trailing once again after losing the opening set to Fritz, who secured a break in the fourth game on Wednesday.
Despite the setback, the Italian, known for his distinctive one-handed backhand, fought back to claim the second set in a tightly contested tie-break on his fourth set point. Musetti carried that momentum into the third set, asserting his dominance by breaking Fritz's serve in the first and fifth games.
Fritz, who had previously showcased his resilience by overcoming a two-set deficit against Alexander Zverev in the fourth round, refused to succumb easily and managed to level the match by clinching the fourth set.
Undeterred by his opponent's resurgence, Musetti displayed unwavering determination in the final set. He raced to a commanding 5-0 lead, ultimately securing a hard-fought victory and advancing to the semis.
English (US) ·