ATP: Musetti and Sinner - the young Italians attack
Lorenzo Musetti and Jannik Sinner are showing off at the ATP Tour 500 tournaments this week: While one is in the quarter-finals in Acapulco, the other also made it into the last eight in Dubai.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Mar 18, 2021, 08:21 am
Yes, from the point of view of Italian tennis fans, there is bad news here and there: Matteo Berretini , number one, is still suffering from an abdominal muscle injury. And Fabio Fognini was eliminated in the round of 16 of the ATP Tour 500 tournament in Acapulco against Cameron Norrie rather unadorned. Just like Lorenzo Sonego, who lost in Dubai against the surprise man of the Australian Open, Aslan Karatsev, in three sets. But it speaks for the Italians that they still have two representatives in the respective quarter-finals: Lorenzo Musetti in Acapulco, Jannik Sinner in Dubai.
And it is not so easy to say which of the two teenagers has impressed more in the past few days: Musetti prevailed against Diego Schwartzman after qualifying in round one. It was the 19-year-old's first win against a top ten player. Musetti immediately followed up against Frances Tiafoe, winning a thriller in the tie-break of the third set.
Sinner, on the other hand, made it similarly exciting against Roberto Bautista Agut in the round of 16 in Dubai, winning 6: 4, 3: 6 and 7: 5 against the Spanish veteran. In a completely different way than his compatriot of the same age: while Musetti cultivates the one-handed backhand in the tradition of Stan Wawrinka or Roger Federer , Sinner accelerates with both hands. And while the South Tyrolean gets many free points with his serve, Musetti has to choose a different set-up for his own service.
Becker thinks a lot of Sinner
Jannik Sinner has already won a tournament on the ATP Tour in Melbourne this year, it was the second championship after the success in Sofia last autumn. Currently 32nd place is certainly not the limit of Sinner, of which Boris Becker said not long ago that it had the potential to become number one. Lorenzo Musetti's ranking is still in three digits, that could change after this week - should the newcomer win his quarter-finals in Acapulco against Grigor Dimitrov .
"Everyone is different and has a different style," said Sinner in Dubai after reaching the quarter-finals. "Musetti is a great, great talent. He can do anything with the ball, is already very strong physically. I think he's a great player like Lorenzo Sonego. He serves well and always goes for winning strokes." Stan wawrinka and Kei Nishikori have already had this experience - last year at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome. Incidentally, Jannik Sinner also appeared there for the first time on the big stage: in 2019 with a win against Steve Johnson.
Since that appearance, Jannik Sinner has really taken off. And still a long way from reaching the goal. "Of course I still have to get better everywhere, but I am now beginning to understand how things work. It is important for me that I can solve the problems on the pitch and improve day by day." Against Roberto Bautista Agut that worked out brilliantly. Aslan Karatsev is now waiting in Dubai.