By Julien Pretot
PARIS (Reuters) -Lorenzo Musetti’s impressive claycourt season rolled on in style on Sunday when the Italian craftsman downed the talented yet erratic Holger Rune 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-2 to reach the French Open quarter-finals for the first time.
World number seven Musetti, who will take on American 15th seed Frances Tiafoe for a place in the last four, adjusted to the Dane’s shift to a swashbuckling approach to keep his title hopes alive in a year that has seen him steady his game.
For the 10th-seeded Rune, it was yet another failure against a member of the top 10 at a Grand Slam as he was denied a third quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros.
“Last night I was dreaming of this match against Holger and I was playing at that level. I need to be very good, and I am really proud of myself tonight,” said Musetti.
Musetti, who said he has put some order in his game, arrived in Paris having reached at least the semi-finals in all three Masters events this season on clay. He did not disappoint on the Philippe Chatrier court, delighting the crowd with a handful of exquisite shots, notably from his impressive single-handed backhand.
“I complain less now, I’m more steady,” he said.
The 23-year-old made a fast start, breaking in the opening game with a forehand winner before consolidating for a 2-0 lead.
The Italian, who came into the match boasting an 11-0 Grand Slam record against players ranked outside the top five, looked sharp early, forcing a break point in the third game before netting a forehand that allowed Rune to steady himself and hold.
COMPOSED
The opening set remained scrappy, with both players trading breaks as unforced errors piled up on Rune’s side of the court. Musetti kept his nose in front, capitalising on Rune’s inconsistency to take the first set, with the momentum hinging on whether the Dane could tighten his game.
Rune responded well in the second set, adopting a more aggressive approach by charging the net to disrupt Musetti’s rhythm.
The tactic paid off as the 22-year-old secured a vital break and maintained his composure, sealing the set with a powerful smash to level the match.
Errors crept back into Rune’s game in the fourth set, allowing Musetti to surge ahead 2-0 as the Italian kept his game tight and composed.
Having adjusted to Rune’s frequent forays to the net, Musetti began to find his range with a series of precise backhand passing shots.
He carved out two break points in the opening game of the third set and converted with a blistering forehand winner, seizing full control of the contest.
It was virtually game over when Rune dropped serve again in the fifth game, sending a forehand wide when he had an open court.
Musetti wrapped it up on serve with an ace for his first win against Rune in three encounters.
Addressing his army of fans in Italian, he said: “To all the Italians who are here in Paris, obviously you’ve stayed deep into the night, your support was fundamental, it helped me push my limits.”
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne;)
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