Magical Musetti defeats De Minaur in gripping contest to reach first Masters 1000 final
The Italian overcame Alex De Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in front of an impassioned partisan crowd to reach the Monte-Carlo Masters final
Lorenzo Musetti, Monte-Carlo, 2025 © Chryslène Caillaud / Psnewz
Lorenzo Musetti came through a typically tenacious display from Alex De Minaur, fighting back to defeat the No 8 seed 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) and reach the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters.
It is the Italian’s first Masters 1000 final and he will meet world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz in tomorrow’s showpiece for a chance to clinch the biggest title of his career.
Before that, however, he will need some well-deserved rest in order to recover from a hard-fought and lengthy semi-final against De Minaur.
Bidding to reach just his second Masters 1000 final, the Australian gave everything he had in a thrilling contest that eventually teased out the best in both men.
It was De Minaur who came racing out of the blocks first, breaking four times in total compared to Musetti’s one as he cantered to the first set in impressive fashion. It was the same blistering form the Australian has been in all week, having handed Grigor Dimitrov a damaging double-bagel in the quarter-finals and dropping just one set en route to the last four.
Musetti, on the other hand, struggled to find his potent one-handed backhand in what was a slow start for the Italian. An early break for De Minaur in the first game of the second set left most inside Court Rainier III fearing the worst for Musetti. Yet, backed by a raucous cacophony of partisan support in the form of a large Italian contingent, Musetti dragged his way back into contention in dogged style.
Earning the break back in the fourth game, Musetti’s confidence and form grew as his forehand in particular began to find its range. He struck again in the ninth game before serving out the second set to rapturous roars of delight from the crowd.
The pair exchanged breaks near the start of the decider before Musetti, who now appeared to have the momentum behind him, struck again to nudge into a narrow lead.
The Italian had saved some of his best tennis for that third set, but when he came to serve for the match at 5-4, he blinked. A loose service game saw De Minaur snatch back the sole break in another late twist.
A deciding tiebreak seemed a fitting end to such a close contest, and so it was with a breaker as tense and tight as the match itself providing an excellent encounter with a gripping finale. De Minaur made the first move, sprinting to a 2-0 lead only to be pegged back to 2-2. The two remained locked until 4-4, when Musetti sensed his chance to surge 6-4 ahead before sealing one of the biggest victories of his life on his first match point.
‘home’ atmosphere helps musetti into the biggest final of his career
The atmosphere at times during this semi-final felt more akin to Rome than Monte-Carlo, such was the level of partisan and vocal support for the Italian. It was not lost on the crowd just what a momentous milestone this is for Musetti, who has reached his maiden Masters 1000 final in what will be – perhaps surprisingly – just his sixth ATP showpiece match.
“It’s something really remarkable and awesome,” Musetti said in his on-court interview following victory.
“Sharing these beautiful moments with my friends and my family. We have everyone here. I definitely feel at home. Really appreciating all the love from the crowd.”
In the biggest match of his career thus far, the Italian will take on four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz – also already a five-time Masters 1000 titlist – in what will be a huge task.
But there has been a certain aura of magic around Musetti in Monaco this year, with the world No 16 posting arguably the finest run of wins in his career – all against high-quality opponents.
Backed by what will likely feel like a home crowd, perhaps this is another step that the 23-year-old is ready to take.
