Lorenzo Musetti upset world number three Andrei Zverev to progress to the second round in Vienna on Friday, calling his comeback win as “a pretty big win”. Musetti, the 17th-ranked Italian, defeated the 2021 champion in two hours and 36 minutes by scores of 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), and 6-4. “It didn’t go as planned; I was struggling with finding the right combination with my lob and the variation of my backhand,” said the 22-year-old who won an Olympic bronze medal in the summer months, just weeks after reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals.
“It’s a big win that Sascha enjoys playing on this court in these conditions. But after the first round, I felt good, and I proved it today.” Musetti will next face world number 18 Jack Draper, who upset Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac in the quarterfinals 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
“I thought the opening set was quite physical. “It’s always difficult to play Tomas because he’s so solid off the ground,” Draper said after reaching his sixth tour semifinal. Australian second seed Alex de Minaur rallied from a set down to overcome Czech teenager Jakub Mensik 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-4. De Minaur, who still has a shot at making the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, will face Karen Khachanov on Saturday for a spot in the Vienna final. Russia’s Khachanov defeated Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-4.