Cincinnati: Lorenzo Musetti Falls to Francis Tiafoe

Lorenzo Musetti bids farewell to the Cincinnati Masters 1000. The Italian tennis player was defeated in two sets by local favorite Frances Tiafoe, who prevailed 7-6, 7-5 in a closely contested match that lasted two hours and a quarter. The player from Carrara produced several top-notch shots, but in the moments of highest pressure, he faltered against the American athlete.

Tiafoe will face fellow American Brando Nakashima in the semifinals, while Musetti, who has plenty of regrets, is preparing for the U.S. Open, which begins in a week in New York.

The Italian, who is slowly regaining his best form, got off to a strong start in the first set, breaking serve in the fifth game but immediately giving it back in the next game. In the tiebreak, the American won decisively 7-2, showing greater mental resilience than the Italian.

In the second set, Tiafoe broke serve in the third game; Musetti broke back in the tenth, saving a match point: it seemed like the start of a comeback, but instead, the Italian lost his serve again in the very next game—and with it, all hope of reaching the top 4 at a Masters 1000 tournament. Flavio Cobolli will advance to the semifinals, where he will face Arthur Fils on Saturday evening.