Musetti-Djokovic, the moment everything fell apart: watch the video
Lorenzo Musetti says goodbye to the Australian Open in the most bitter way possible. The Carrarino had gotten off to a strong start against Novak Djokovic, dominating the first two sets, but during the third partial he was forced to surrender to a physical problem in his right thigh. A very hard denouement to accept: Djokovic flies to the semifinals in Melbourne without having won a single set on the court, while the Carrarese is left with a lot of disappointment and the feeling of a missed opportunity due to sheer bad luck.
At Rod Laver Arena, two major ambitions take center stage. Musetti is chasing the first Slam semifinal of his career, buoyed by a positive period that has led him to the best ATP ranking ever. Djokovic, on the other hand, wants to prove that at 38 he can still aim high, dreaming of an 11th Melbourne title and 25th Slam overall.
The start of the match is all blue. Musetti plays free, fluid, with great quality. The Serb struggles to keep the rhythm and suffers the variations of the Italian, who closes the first set 6-4. Djokovic tries to fight back in the second, but at 1-1 comes another break by Musetti, who takes the lead and also wins the second set 6-3.
In the third set, however, the match changes face. Musetti suffers a physical problem and seeks medical attention in an attempt to continue. The difficulties are evident and, at 3-1 to Djokovic, in the fourth game, the Italian is forced to retire. The audience accompanies him with a long applause as he leaves the court, visibly dejected at another physical stop that marks his path.
Djokovic thus advances to the semifinals, thanks in part to lai fortuna. It should be noted, however, that the Serb was not at his best either: he had to go to medical time-out during the match for problems with his right foot, with blisters and a clearly visible bandage.
