Madrid: Musetti and Sinner in the second round

A great Lorenzo Musetti beats the American Sebastian Korda 6-4 6-3 and reaches the round of 16 of the Masters 1000 in Madrid. An impeccable performance of the Carrarino, helped by the not perfect physical condition of the rival, but able to play his best tennis for the entire duration of the match.

The match

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Musetti wins the draw and decides to answer. The choice turns out to be spot on: the American goes to the net to get the ball game, but Musetti is not surprised. He responds very deeply, takes advantage of Korda’s mistakes and at the second break point he snatches the serve from his rival. With a swing from the backhand Musetti cancels the ball of the counter break, but two double fouls extend a game that the Carrarino holds with his nails thanks to a valuable short final ball. Korda is forced to ask for more from the serve to move the score, but the American champion struggles to keep the exchange from the back and is forced to go to the net to save two break points that would allow Musetti to go up 4-1. Korda is saved by serving very angled, finds four first in a row, then follows a second serve to shorten on 2-3. The sixth game is the decisive moment: Musetti suffers, plays short and offers a break point to Korda. It’s a long exchange, all on the backhand diagonal. Musetti plays two spectacular setbacks, cancels the chance and on the second occasion finally climbs to 4-2. The inertia is all for the blue who settles a new break coming to serve for the set at 5-2. Here the blue freezes, loses 8 points in a row, but keeps the bar at zero at 5-4 that ensure the first set. Musetti knocks Korda out of the running and with 8 points in a row starts the second fraction with a break that confirms the 2-0. After 68 minutes, at 2-1 for Musetti, Korda asks for the intervention of the physio for a groin problem. Upon returning to the field Musetti cancels two break points, then the final show dominating the last game of the match. Musetti will play in the second round against the German Alexander Zverev who knocked out Marin Cilic in three sets.

Jannik

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After Lorenzo Musetti also Jannik Sinner (in the hundredth game won in his career) reaches the round of 16 of the Masters 1000 in Madrid. The South Tyrolean, without shining too much, beat Australian Alex De Minaur 6-4 6-1 bringing the balance of their previous matches to four matches and four victories for the blue. Crazy departure of Sinner who beats like a blacksmith and flies quickly to 3-0. At 3-1 Sinner saves a break point, rises 4-1, but at this point he loses continuity, misses a few too many forehands and in the seventh game he suffers the counter break with De Minaur able to play deeper and always pushing. Without doing anything in particular, without even attacking the Australian’s soft second with too much conviction, Sinner immediately gets three break points to jump forward again. De Minaur saves the first, but the third mistake from the back is the break that sends Sinner to serve for the first set. The South Tyrolean, however, does not take advantage of the opportunity, on 4-5 De Minaur rises 30-0, but then returns to make mistakes. Sinner tries to contain his rival, without doing anything in particular he reaches the set point. To close the set in favor of the Italian we think De Minaur who blatantly misses a smash with his nose over the net. In the second set the plot of the match does not change. Sinner plays without affecting too much, De Minaur always misses a few centimeters and Sinner places the break which he confirms by flying forward 4-1. Sinner places another break and then closes at the second match point after putting in a backhand volley on the first opportunity to close the contest. In the round of 16 Sinner awaits the winner of the current match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Cristian Garin.