In a stunning upset at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, world No. 23 Lorenzo Musetti mounted a thrilling comeback to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in a gripping quarterfinal encounter. The 22-year-old Italian displayed incredible grit and resilience to overcome a sluggish start and book his place in the semifinals.
Early Setback for Musetti
The match got off to an inauspicious start for Musetti, as Zverev came out firing on all cylinders. The German’s powerful serves and blistering groundstrokes had Musetti on the back foot, and he quickly wrapped up the opening set 6-2.
Musetti Fights Back
However, Musetti refused to go down without a fight. He dug deep in the second set, elevating his game and matching Zverev shot for shot. Despite trailing 0-3 in the tiebreak, the Italian clawed his way back to steal the set 7-6(5), much to the delight of the crowd.
It’s definitely a match that means a lot to me. It’s a pretty big win in my career, because Sascha really loves to play here, on this court, in these conditions.
– Lorenzo Musetti
Momentum Shift in the Decider
With the momentum firmly in his favor, Musetti carried his form into the deciding set. He broke Zverev early and held his nerve to close out the match 6-4, sealing a remarkable comeback victory in 2 hours and 30 minutes.
The loss will come as a bitter blow to Zverev, who was the defending champion in Vienna and had hopes of finishing the season on a high note. The German, who also fell to Musetti at the Paris Olympics, will now turn his attention to the upcoming Paris Masters.
Musetti’s Semifinal Challenge
Musetti’s reward for his stunning upset is a semifinal showdown with rising British star Jack Draper. The seventh seed advanced to the last four with a hard-fought 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Czech qualifier Tomas Machac.
In the other semifinal, Karen Khachanov will take on the winner of the quarterfinal clash between Grigor Dimitrov and Marcos Giron. Khachanov continued his impressive run of form with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 win over Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, his first victory over the Italian in five attempts.
As the Erste Bank Open reaches its climax, all eyes will be on Musetti to see if he can ride the wave of his stunning upset and go all the way to the title in Vienna. With his never-say-die attitude and shotmaking prowess, the young Italian will fancy his chances against anyone left in the draw.
