Madrid Masters: Musetti edges Tsitsipas to move into last 16

Lorenzo Musetti, the No 10 seed, beat Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No 17 seed, 7-5, 7-6 (3) to advance to the last 16 of the Madrid Masters at the Caja Mágica on Tuesday afternoon.

The Italian was in fine form, with his trademark one-handed backhand operating particularly effectively in a battle between two top-20 players who deploy this shot.

Musetti has previously struggled against Tsitsipas, losing his first five matches against the Greek. But it appears he has now cracked that problem, as today’s victory makes it two in a row against Tsitsipas for the Italian, having also beaten him en route to the final in Monte-Carlo two weeks ago.

Musetti, ranked No 11, will play Australian Alex de Minaur, the No 6 seed, next.

In the previous round of the Madrid tournament, the Italian won against Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry (7-6 (3), 6-2).

Tsitsipas, ranked No 18, won against German Jan-Lennard Struff (3-6, 6-4, 6-3) in the previous round of the Madrid tournament.

Madrid Masters 1000, other third-round results (Caja Mágica, clay, EUR 8.055.385, most recent results first):

• Jack Draper (5) beat Matteo Berrettini (30): 7-6 (2) ret.
• Grigor Dimitrov (15) beat Jacob Fearnley (Q): 6-4, 7-6 (3)
• Gabriel Diallo (LL) beat Cameron Norrie: 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
• Alex De Minaur beat Denis Shapovalov (29): 6-3, 7-6 (3)
• Frances Tiafoe (16) beat Alexandre Muller: 6-3, 6-3
• Tommy Paul (11) beat Karen Khachanov (24): 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
• Matteo Arnaldi beat Damir Dzumhur: 6-3, 6-4
• Casper Ruud (14) beat Sebastian Korda (23): 6-3, 6-3
• Francisco Cerundolo (20) beat Francisco Comesana: 6-4, 6-4
• Jakub Mensik (22) beat Ben Shelton (12): 6-1, 6-4
• Taylor Fritz (3) beat Benjamin Bonzi: 4-6, 7-5 ret.
• Daniil Medvedev (9) beat Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Q): 6-2, 6-2
• Alexander Zverev (1) beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (28): 2-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6
• Brandon Nakashima (31) beat Flavio Cobolli: 7-5, 6-3
• Alexander Bublik beat Andrey Rublev (7): 6-4, 0-6, 6-4