Lorenzo Musetti Italian national did a better job against Sebastian Korda for a place in the quarter-finals of the 2021 Lyon Open.
The 19-year-old struggled desperately to overthrow 21-year-old Korda to win 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 in a match that was interrupted by rain.
“I lost my focus and he won the second set easily and started the third set well, but Sebi came back and he played really impressively. I played with all my heart and gave my physical strength. I’m really proud of myself.” itted Lorenzo Musetti, who won two straight set matches at the Lyon Open this season.
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The player, who beat Felix Auger Aliassime in this week’s Lyon Open, is currently 11-6 and will take on fourth seed David Goffin or Slovenian Aljaz Bedene in the last eight.
The world number 82 will seek to advance to the semifinals of the third ATP tournament of his career after qualifying for the semifinals in Sardinia 2020 and Acapulco in 2021.
The Italian national got her first break point chance of the match thanks to a double foul by American Korda in the fourth game, just before the rain started.
As the match resumed, the 19-year-old failed to convert a set point chance at 5-2, but he did not waste another chance in the next game to claim the first set that lasted 40 minutes.
After securing two break point opportunities at 1-1 in the second set, Korda found a groundstroke and broke the Italian for a 3-1 lead.
The world number 65 then won 12 of the next 15 points to win the second set which lasted 34 minutes.
Entering the decisive set, Musetti rediscovered the rhythm of the game, leaving him 3-1 ahead before Korda did his best to equalize at 4-4. But the Italian national stepped up the level of play to claim the last two games and advance to his third quarter-final this season.
Meanwhile, seeded eighth, Karen Khachanov survived the brink of defeat with a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 victory over host tennis player, Benjamin Bonzi. Thanks to his hard work, Russian national Khachanov will challenge Kamil Majchrzak in the second round of the Lyon Open after the Polish national beat Joao Sousa 6-3 7-6.
