After a loss on his debut against Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti return to the field against Alex De Minaur (#7) in the second match of the Jimmy Connors group. A match that missed most of the two’s hopes of qualifying for the semifinals of the ATP Finals.
Musetti holds
Musetti scored an ace to make it 5-4: now he had to break De Minaur’s serve or he would officially be out of the semifinals.
De Minaur makes it 5-3
Beautiful game, but closed once again by De Minaur. Musetti with his back against the wall.
Musetti continues to play
Despite great difficulty, Musetti held serve and chased 4-3: a break was needed to rebalance the match.
De Minaur was very solid: 4-2
De Minaur’s serve was the difference again: 4-2.
Musetti saves himself: 3-2
Musetti saved a break point that would have ended the match and took the lead to 3-2.
De Minaur advances: 3-1
Once play resumed after being ill in the stands, De Minaur extended his lead to 3-1 after canceling a break point.
The match was stopped due to illness
In the fourth game the match was stopped due to the illness of a spectator in the stands. The score was 2-1 De Minaur, 40-40.
Musetti drives the score
Musetti won the first game of his third set, but now he really had to take the Australian’s serve.
De Minaur extends: 2-0
Alex De Minaur won the fifth game in a row, taking a 2-0 lead through a break in the second set.
Rest soon for De Minaur
A straight break for De Minaur, who was 0-40 ahead, failed to make the first response but took control of the game on the second occasion.
De Minaur won the set 6-3, we advanced to the third set
Good first points from Musetti, then De Minaur takes the lead again: volley from De Minaur for two set points, De Minaur converts in the second.
Destroy De Minaur
De Minaur broke Musetti’s serve at the first opportunity and went 5-3 up, the Australian would serve for the set.
De Minaur, the game goes to zero
A very fast game, De Minaur dominated with her serve, opening the court for the winner. The Australian also found the seventh ace of her match and took a 4-3 lead in the second set.
The balance continues: 3-3
Musetti left just one 15 to De Minaur in a match where the Australian put up some points: 3-3.
De Minaur returned from 15-30
De Minaur held serve at 15-30. At 30, all Australian players had backhand winners and serve winners: 3-2.
Musetti service
Very solid on Musetti service. The blue player concedes the first point, then scores four points in a row with two winning serves and an ace: 2-2.
Musetti wastes two break points, De Minaur leads 2-1
The first three games of the second set were without breaks but Musetti, who in the first game controlled two balls to break his opponent’s serve. Conceding only 15 times in the other two games, De Minaur 2-1 in the second set.
Musetti won the first set 7-5
De Minaur was aggressive in response (0-30) but his forehand missed. Musetti gets back to 30-30 (powerful forehand forcing De Minaur into an error), aces for set point, wins serve: Musetti’s first set.
Musetti Break: 6-5
In response, Musetti immediately took the lead to 0-30, then De Minaur scored an ace and got back into the game. Then he made a mistake and conceded two break points: Lorenzo sent a forehand cross into the corridor and on the next point he hit an easy backhand. Another break point after a free throw from De Minaur: Musetti fails to return serve at 209 km/h. Fourth break point of the game “Muso”: this time it was a break.
5-5 Musetti
Very good Musetti: the set ends at 7. Carrarino plays with a lot of confidence.
De Minaur 5-4
The Australian was the first to reach 5: serve was held to zero. A very good match technically.
Musetti improved to 4-4
Musetti immediately made it 30-0 through two unprovoked errors by De Minaur. Smash by Musetti (40-0), then the match ended simply
De Minaur canceled the break point and made it 4-3
Rarely contested play: a free throw from the Australian (30-30), then Musetti gets the first break point of the match backhand, amidst applause from the crowd: De Minaur cancels with the winning serve, then fires an ace and finishes with a forehand.
Musetti went up to 3-3 despite a double fault
Second double fault for Musetti (0 for De Minaur), but Lorenzo was able to hold serve without much difficulty.
Without rest: 3-2
De Minaur leads 3-2: no breaks in the first set. This Australian tennis player is very regular with his serve which is not too strong, but right in the corner.
Musetti took the lead to 2-2
Musetti’s backhand started to heat up: a spectacular 30-0 points, all led by his best shots.
De Minaur ahead: 2-1
The first two points were answered by Musetti, but De Minaur took the match home: 2-1 for the Australian.
Musetti at zero: 1-1
The first point for Musetti is a straight line. Second full arm for 30-0. It was a very determined Musetti: 40-0 with a good forehand, then an ace.
De Minaur Service: 1-0
The Australian started with serve: the winner was the first point of the match, then serve and a forehand on the break for De Minaur. Ace for 40-0 and another ace first: closes at 0.
Players on the field
Lorenzo Musetti and Alex De Minaur enter the field: this is the 5th match between the two, Musetti leads 3-1.
Tartarini (Musetti’s coach): “This is what Lorenzo has to do”
Simone Tartarinihistoric coach Lorenzo Musetti, presents the match against De Minaur: “What do I advise him? Be calm and aggressive, play optimally and be patient. He should not get caught up in the frenzy of having to win.”
Fifth confrontation between Musetti and De Minaur
Tonight it will be third comparison in 2025 between Musetti and De Minaur. The Italian coach won in the semifinals in Monte Carlo and in the round of 16 in Madrid. Including two precedents on clay, the head-to-head sees Musetti up 3-1. In 2024 Carrarino won a challenge on grass at Queen’s, De Minaur won in his only previous match on hard courts, since the 2022 Australian Open.
Italy smiles thanks to Bolelli and Vavassori
While waiting for Musetti (tonight) and Sinner (tomorrow night), Italian tennis celebrates its historic progress to the semifinals double consist of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. The Italian pair achieved their second success in Turin by beating Spaniard Marcel Granollers and Argentinian Horacio Zeballos in two sets (7-6, 6-4).
Alcaraz is one step away from the semifinals
In the first match of the day, Carlos Alcaraz he beat Taylor Fritz in three sets. A success that brings the Spaniard closer to the semifinals but also ensures that he ends the year as world number 1.
Alcaraz beats Fritz in a comeback at the ATP Finals: another win and he will end the year as number 1
by Massimo Calandri
Musetti, the first winning goal in the Final
Defeated on debut by Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti face Alex De Minaur in the second match of Connors’ group at the ATP Finals. The Australian also made his debut by knockout, against Carlos Alcaraz. Therefore, for both of them, tonight’s match is fundamental to continuing to hope to qualify for the semifinals.
