Lorenzo Musetti triumphs in Monte Carlo: Berrettini defeated in the eighth finals of the ATP Masters 1000

Lorenzo Mustetti paints a very noble tennis Montecarlo, as refined as it is concrete. Matteo Berrettini, instead, struggles from the start, almost as if his power were harnessed by an invisible force, as well as by the heat that is descending on the Principality. The Italian derby on red clay in the eighth finals of theATP Masters 1000 in Monaco looks a lot like a domination, in truth little expected. The Carrara native wins 6-3 6-3, and from Monday he will be at least number 14 in the world: it is his best ranking equaled, and it is natural that now his ambition climbs another big step, attacking the world top 10.

A natural achievement for 'Muso', who has learned to play without imposing the spin shot, putting his refined and innate style at the service of the result. In Monte Carlo it is already the second time that he has qualified for the quarterfinals (he will meet the Greek Tsitsipas today no earlier than 14.30:6 pm, who beat the Portuguese Borges 1-6 1-XNUMX and is aiming for his fourth triumph in the tournament), while Matteo sees his run come to an abrupt halt after the prestigious victory against Zverev. The Roman giant, moreover, towards the end of the second set calls a medical timeout to have his right foot treated. Already from the beginning of the match his mobility had seemed limited, undoubtedly conditioning his performance especially with the forehand.

Lorenzo only needs one break at the beginning of the first set, then one at the start and one at the end of the second to prevail and earn a place among the top eight of the tournament. He makes very few mistakes: 11 unforced errors against 45, and this makes the data on winners almost irrelevant, with the Roman doubling the Tuscan: 18 to 9. The data on second serves is also eloquent, with Musetti winning 77% of the points and 'Berretto' only 32% in a match in which he had no break points.

It is difficult to establish, as always, where the merits of the winner begin and where the shortcomings of the loser begin. Lollo takes a 2-1 lead in the direct clashes. In Monte Carlo he always finds the right vibes, and at the end of the match he almost emotionally says goodbye to his box where his entire family is present.

The racket Italy that awaits Sinner always finds a way to shine. "It was a very stressful match and not only because it is always difficult to play a derby, against a friend, a teammate - says Lorenzo -. And there was also a lot of emotion, playing in front of my family and with so many Italians in the stands, with a support that was 50 and 50".

'Lollo' is only 23 years old, but for almost five years we have been wondering when he can explode given his unquestionable class, the kind that players far ahead of him in the rankings dream of. The time has perhaps come, because never before have we seen the Tuscan leave behind in the locker room those tactical frills that often weighed down his performances, often pushing him back into the sector of unexpressed champions.

In a '1000' that has already lost Zverev and Djokovic, it would be a huge shame for Musetti not to bet on himself. The one who impressed yesterday was Carlos Alcaraz: the 6-3 6-1 inflicted by the Spanish world number three on the German Altmaier was a no-brainer. If he won the tournament, Carlitos would surpass Zverev and rise to world number 2. Medvedev's bad moment continues, beaten 6-2 6-2 by the Australian De Minaur.