Italian Lorenzo Musetti put on a clay-court masterclass yesterday, taking down the dangerous Holger Rune 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 (which was curiously his first ever top ten win in a Slam).
2025 ATP Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
French Open
Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Quarterfinals- 3rd June
Lorenzo Musetti (8) 0.22 vs Frances Tiafoe (15) 3.2
The 2024 Wimbledon semifinalist won a tight first set before being stunned by the Dane in the 2nd. But the crafty Musetti rebounded in the closing two sets, outfoxing Rune in the extended rallies (he forced the Dane into increasingly desperate net approaches as the match progressed). Musetti hit 39 winners to 34 unforced errors in a brilliant display of intuitive clay-court tennis, sailing into the French Open quarterfinals for the first time in his career. Musetti is yet to win a title this season but probably ranks as the 2nd most in-form player on the dirt (behind Alcaraz). He finished runner-up in Monte-Carlo before reaching back-to-back semifinals in Madrid and Rome. He is 15-3 on clay this season and looks well positioned for another Grand Slam semifinal run.
Next up for Musetti is Roland Garros surprise package Frances Tiafoe. The two-time US Open semifinalist has had a negligible season (though he did pick up that clay-court runner-up finish in Houston). But he has defied expectations this fortnight, reaching the French Open quarterfinals without dropping a set (becoming the first American since Agassi in 1995 to achieve that feat). His four wins this fortnight match his total wins in nine previous appearances here. Tiafoe has benefitted from limited expectations, playing with a freedom that I have never seen from him on the clay. He was truly exceptional in his 4th round win over Daniel Altmaier, hitting 40 winners to 36 unforced errors. He was particularly impressive during his incursions to the net, winning 30 of 37 points in the forecourt. Musetti has plenty variety and Tiafoe’s efficiency around the net could come in handy in this fascinating quarterfinal clash.
The Verdict: Musetti to win in four sets at 2.35– Tiafoe leads the head-to-head 3-2, winning their most recent meeting in straight sets at last year’s Cincinnati Open. Musetti won their only previous clay-court meeting, edging Tiafoe in three sets at the 2023 Italian Open. Tiafoe will feel confident given his head-to-head superiority. But Musetti is playing elite clay-court tennis and should have too much variety for the American. His subtle use of slice and heavy topspin should force Tiafoe into plenty of errors.
