Musetti defeated Tiafoe in four sets to reach the semi-finals of the French Open for the first time and face Alcaraz in the semifinals
Lorenzo Musetti's stunning performances in the 2025 European clay season continued to shine at the French Open.
Tuesday qualified for the semi-finals of the clay Grand Slam for the first time with a hard-fought 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over Francis Tiafoe. At the Philippe Chartier Stadium, Musetti battled Tiafoe in the first three sets before he controlled the tempo and won eight of the final 10 games to seal the victory.
Musetti said in an on-field interview,
"[The third set] was definitely key and I think Francis [Tiafoe] didn't start well but it was really complicated to play well today. It was very windy and it was difficult to control the ball well. Especially in the third set, it was a completely hard-fought battle, and it was not easy to break serve.
I was a little bit tired and it was tough to hold on, but I found that extra energy to win the [third] set and the last set was definitely my best of the match. ”
Musetti, who is 19-3 on clay in 2025, will face defending champion Alcaraz for a place in the final. With the victory, which took 2 hours and 47 minutes, Musetti jumped two places to No. 5 in the PIF ATP instant rankings and is expected to set a new career high after the French Open.
Commenting on recent improvements, Musetti said:
"I think it's been a growing process, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch. I became a father last year, which gives me a sense of responsibility. I think now I'm more professional about things, not only on the pitch, but also in my daily life: in training and in my free time.
"I really enjoyed my time with my family. Even when they're not here, they're always in my heart, so I guess this victory is dedicated to them. ”
Musetti and his partner Confalonieri are welcoming their second child
Musetti came to the French Open in the best form of his career and ranked No. 7 in the PIF ATP, and he is the only player to reach the semi-finals of all three clay ATP1000 Masters tournaments (Monte Carlo, Madrid, Roma). His path to the French Open remains impressive.
After beating Navone and Rune in four sets in the first two rounds, Musetti and Tiafoe faced off in the quarter-finals. He held his ground again after Tiafoe's setback of winning the second set equaliser. In a tense third set, Musetti saved serve from a 5-5, 15-30 deficit before breaking Tiafoe in the crucial next game. This became the turning point of the game.
Musetti rode the win to take an early 3-0 lead in the fourth set, displaying his trademark delicate shots along the way and completing the victory with his fifth break of the match. The No.8 seed was broken just once in the early second set and, according to Infosys, won 81 per cent of his first serve (61/75).
Prior to this game, Musetti had a 2:3 record against Tiafoe, and the last two matches on tour against Tiafoe have been defeated. After this game, the ATP record between the two sides equalized at 3-3.
Musetti currently has a 13-4 record at the French Open. At the 2021 French Open, 19-year-old high school student Musetti reached the fourth round of his first appearance at the French Open and won two sets in a row 7-6(9)/7-6(7) against Djokovic (he retired with leg cramps in the fourth set). He also made a name for himself at the French Open.
After reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon 2024, Musetti will be on the Grand Slam semi-finals stage for the second time. His opponent is No. 2 seed Alcaraz.
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