Lorenzo Musetti reached his first Major quarter-final at the US Open. The Italian faced world no. 1 and his compatriot Jannik Sinner and suffered a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 loss in two hours.
It was another commanding performance from the defending champion that left his rival without an answer. Jannik showcased the depth, power and consistency that made him the man to beat in New York.
Lorenzo admitted he could not find solutions to counter the rival's relentless baseline game. The world's best player forced the 10th seed to increase his pace, which led to a flood of errors.
The rallies slipped way from Musetti's hands, and he left the court with seven games on his tally. Reflecting on his compatriot's run, Lorenzo pointed to Carlos Alcaraz as the only player capable of matching Jannik's pace in New York.
The Italian is meeting Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-final, while the Spaniard embraces a blockbuster clash against the 24-time Major winner, Novak Djokovic. If they both win, Alcaraz and Sinner will fight in their third consecutive Major final on Sunday.
Jannik has played impressive tennis in the first five matches. On the other hand, Carlos has yet to lose a set in New York this year, looking eager to topple two great rivals and lift his first US Open trophy since 2022.
While the world's best players remain on the title course, Musetti learned a lesson in just how high the bar has been raised by his Davis Cup teammate.
"I did not put Jannik in trouble. If we take today's match as an example, you realize you have to serve very well to have a chance of controlling the rally against him.
Jannik is overwhelming from the baseline, hitting with incredible depth and not backing up much. He forces you to increase your pace, and I made too many mistakes because of his style of play, which got me out of rallies.
Carlos is likely the only player who, at his best, can trouble him. I was very impressed by Jannik's performance tonight," Lorenzo Musetti said.
