17:09
Conclusion
After the first set conclusion there is not much more to report, because the short service game won did not bring many new insights. After signing a few autographs and taking photos, Zverev would like to use the remaining time until the next match for a few training shots on the Madrilenian sand. The second seeded Sascha Zverev may again be awaiting an Italian opponent in the quarter-finals: Jannik Sinner and the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime will duel in a round of 16 at eye level for the quarter-final place. Thank you for reading and have a nice rest of the day!
17:05
Zverev wins by submission
Lorenzo Musetti can’t continue playing! After the last faulty backhand, the 20-year-old waves it into the net and already indicates: Nothing works here! Given the home tournament in Rome next week, the Italian probably doesn’t want to take too many risks either.
17:03
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 6, 0: 1
Musetti doesn’t seem that fit. Zverev plays his own boot further down here and doesn’t let himself be influenced by the opponent’s problems.
17:03
Medical timeout
Musetti had a short treatment during the break and was taped on his left thigh. He probably has muscular problems. He has since returned to the field.
17:00
sentence conclusion
Sascha Zverev wins the first set 6:3 against the Italian challenger Lorenzo Musetti and proves himself worthy of a defending champion in this round of 16! The 25-year-old looks different compared to his elimination at the BMW Open in front of his home crowd in Munich. Because Musetti is by no means an easy opponent, plays with many variants and always presents Zverev with tasks. But the German number one always knows how to solve them, played an impressive 17 winners in the first set (including seven aces, seven forehand winners and three backhand winners) and made only seven avoidable mistakes despite the aggressive game. The fact that he used the only two breakballs ice-cold and didn’t even let his opponent come close to a break with his own service suggests that the Hamburg player is likely to reach the quarter-finals.
16:57
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 6
Wow! A brilliant return winner longline with the backhand seals the first set.
16:56
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 5
But Zverev earned a break and set ball: Musetti went to the net, but was then surprised by a backhand praise from the German number one.
16:55
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 5
The Hamburger cannot take advantage of the 30:15 lead and creates two break chances because he returns incorrectly with the backhand.
16:55
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 5
When the score was 15:15, the German tried a stop ball. Musetti plays cross on the net, Zverev reacts quickly and passes the forehand volley winner.
16:53
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 5
Zverev doesn’t hold back his own serve for long, he holds it back to 15. So he pushes the pressure over to the Italian youngster, who now has to serve against the loss of the set.
16:51
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 4
Two aces by Zverev are interrupted by the challenger winning a point. 30:15 from a German point of view.
16:48
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 4
And Zverev is getting stronger, more powerful and more varied! He distributes the balls strongly until Musetti misses a backhand. So he has the first break in his pocket, which is deserved despite a strong performance by his opponent.
16:47
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 3
And yet Musetti faces the first breakball of the game: Zverev heaves a strong forehand into the field, which Musetti can only return to the net.
16:46
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 3
The same applies to Musetti, who is not quite as dominant, but still seems largely stable with his own service. At the net he jumps briefly to the volleywinner cross.
16:45
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 3
With an ace, the number one from Germany corrects back to 40:15. And then he fires the already fifth ace on the sand. So far, Musetti hasn’t had a chance to come close to a break in the return game.
16:43
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 2
Zverev has often played his way to the net and beats the next smash winner. 30:0. Then he lets a net error follow and only gives up the second point on his own serve.
16:41
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 3: 2
A powerful forehand cross winner makes it 40:0, the Italian converts the ball thanks to a mistake by Sascha. The first games passed quickly.
16:40
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 2: 2
The audience responded with applause: Musetti plays a stop ball, which the German opponent counters, but Musetti can pass again with his simple backhand. 30:0.
16:38
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 2: 2
Zverev is back and feels more than comfortable with his own service so far. Longline he puts a smash winner to 40:0, two quick point wins have already preceded it. With an ace, the Hamburger secures the game to zero.
16:35
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 2: 1
The length in the baseline shots is good for both players. Zverev sometimes gets a forehand too far and in the following rally he only hits the ball with the edge of the racket. After initial problems, the Italian easily wins his second service game.
16:34
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 1: 1
After Zverev turned up for two points and marked the 30:15 with a strong backhand, Musetti drew level – again the recipe for success is a stop ball. The German will have to adjust to this in the course of the match.
16:33
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 1: 1
Musetti caught Zverev on the wrong foot when he surprised Zverev, who was far behind, with a stop ball from the baseline duel. This is played strongly as a forehand winner.
16:31
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 1: 1
A demanding overhead shot by the hamburger lands in the net. Since his service is really strong right from the start, winning his first service game is only a matter of form: he makes it 1-1 after games with a “serve and volley”.
4:30 p.m
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 1: 0
The two main actors don’t need long to get going. Zverev serves strongly to the outside and then slams a forehand winner into the other angle. Because he lets an ace follow to the outside, it’s quickly 40:0.
16:29
Lorenzo Musetti – Alexander Zverev 1: 0
Since Musetti is a strong player on clay, an exciting match could develop here. And already in the first game there are quite long rallies, mostly with the better ending for the serving Musetti. Without any major problems he wins the first game to 15.
16:27
Lorenzo Musetti 0-0 Alexander Zverev
Backhand longline Zverev plays out. After playing the first few shots rather defensively, the man from Hamburg took the risk for the first time and played a backhand stop that was too short after 21 shots.
16:25
Lorenzo Musetti 0-0 Alexander Zverev
The Italian hits the outside and Zverev returns too far, giving the outsider the first point. Since he chased a forehand into the net in the following rally, it was 15:15 seconds later.
16:24
First sentence
Because Rafael Nadal is fighting for his quarter-final ticket in the largest stadium of the Madrid facility, the ranks in the second largest stadium are rather sparsely occupied. Musetti will serve first.
16:22
warm-up program
In sunny weather and a temperature slightly above 20 degrees, the two protagonists are currently warming up in the Arantxa Sanchez Stadium – the match can start in a few moments!
16:17
Italy’s future
The near future of Italian tennis seems secured. Because the youth is already in the starting blocks behind the 26-year-old and thus actually “old hand” of Italian tennis, Matteo Berrettini: Jannik Sinner has already arrived at the top of the world at the age of 20, Lorenzo Musetti wants to make his way there . The 20-year-old was the first tennis player born in 2002 to win a match on the ATP Challenger Tour and at the highest ATP level. Despite his young age, Musetti has already gained a lot of experience and has been able to play a few duels against world-class players. Now the next top player is required in Sascha Zverev.
16:08
If not now then when?
2022 is not Sascha Zverev’s year so far. The 25-year-old was not only concerned with the much-discussed freak out in Acapulco, the number three in the world is also lagging behind his sporting form. After he was the most successful tennis player in the world in terms of the number of tournament wins last year and seemed to be in immaculate form, especially in the second half of the year, he was unable to keep it over the Christmas break and has been struggling with himself since the beginning of the year. The sporting descent culminated in the elimination in the first round of the BMW Open (Munich) in his home country. Of course, that should change as soon as possible. And where better to do that than in the Spanish capital, where he won two of his four Masters titles and arrives as the reigning champion?
16:02
head to head
The head-to-head balance is quickly eaten: In view of Lorenzo Musetti’s young age (20 years), it is not too surprising that Hamburg’s Zverev has never met the Italian.
16:00
Hurkacz makes quick process
In the previous match, Pole Hubert Hurkacz didn’t give Serbian underdog Dušan Lajović a chance. After a tight first set (7:5), the world number 14 draws. in the second round, making room for Zverev and Musetti.
15:51
Warm welcome
The German number one is required in the round of 16 of the Madrid Masters! Alexander Zverev is the clear favorite against the Italian Lorenzo Musetti despite his poor form.