The number 9 of the world will debut on Friday in the second round: “Last year, after a difficult start, I found myself making a qualitative leap such as continuity and consistency”
At the Foro Italico Lorenzo Musetti never went beyond the round of 16 (in 2022). But that was the “old” Lorenzo Musetti. Today that has just entered the top ten, at number 9, and has acquired a new awareness, the proclamation of the eve has changed. “At this point my mentality, not only on earth where I can express my tennis at best, is to win the tournament. But it is not a lack of respect for others, because you can very well lose in the first round. It is that security and trust in my game have increased,” he says at the press conference. The Carrarino landed in Rome after the Montecarlo final, the first in his career in a Masters 1000, and the Madrid semifinals. “I am here to keep the moment alive. The top ten was a goal but I remained the same person. To achieve, at level 1000, a final between high bass and a semifinal without losing a set was the confirmation of my current level. One thing is to play against a top ten, another thing is to win against a top ten”. And, in fact, in this fantastic season on Earth, “Lollo” has already beaten Tsitsipas (when the Greek was n.8) and twice De Minaur, as well as snatching a set in Alcaraz from the Spanish house. In Rome, after the bye of the first round, Musetti (series head n.8) will debut on Friday against the winner between the Serbian Medjedovic and a qualified/Lucky Loser. The scoreboard reserves him, theoretically, eighth with Medvedev, quarters with Zverev, semifinals with Alcaraz and the suggestion of an all -Italian final with Sinner.
turning
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A splendid tennis his, from white gestures. A beautiful tennis and able to project it among the first twenty players in the world at the age of 21. But a sense of incompleteness was perceived. Then the turning point. Not in the latter, sensational weeks, but more or less a year ago. He tells him himself. “I think I made a leap of quality such as continuity and consistency. After a really bad start of 2024 I got my hands dirty and I went back to play two challenger, Cagliari and Turin, where while not playing at the best I got to the bottom. I found myself. I lost in five sets in the third round at the Roland Garros against Djokovic, I made a great season on the grass with the final at Queen’s and the semifinal a Wimbledon, and then again on Earth with the final in Umago and the Olympic bronze. Now, behind Totem Sinner, there is him, even in the collective imagination. “I welcome this popularity with great joy and also so much pride. It is nice to be admired by many children, I am proud to be able to convey the passion for this sport, especially thinking that 15 years ago I could be one of them”.