Lorenzo Musetti is back in form on American hard courts. The world No. 15 and fourth seed at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington defeated Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in two hours and 16 minutes on Wednesday, reaching his first ATP quarterfinal in three months.
The 24-year-old Italian, who advanced from his opening match after compatriot Matteo Arnaldi retired after just 40 minutes, showed resilience and quality against a tricky opponent ranked 105th. Despite losing his way in the second set — surrendering a 5-3 lead with a service break advantage — Musetti regrouped decisively in the decider to seal victory.
"This is my 45th ATP quarterfinal, the first since Barcelona in April," Musetti said after the match. "I'm happy with how I'm playing, especially on hard courts after a long break from this surface."
The former world No. 5 becomes just the third Italian this century to reach the Washington quarterfinals, following Jannik Sinner, who won the title in 2021, and Flavio Cobolli, runner-up in 2024.
Musetti started aggressively, breaking Vukic in the opening service game of the match. The gap in class from the baseline was evident — Musetti's elegant yet effective groundstrokes proved too consistent for the Australian, whose forehand errors kept him on the back foot. The Italian closed the first set 6-3.
The second set followed a similar script until a dramatic shift. Musetti broke early and led 5-3, serving for the match, when a sudden dip in intensity allowed Vukic back in. The Australian rattled off five of the next six games to take the set 7-5, sensing an unlikely comeback.
But Musetti reset brilliantly in the third set. He broke immediately and held serve with authority, as Vukic's energy levels dipped after the effort required to level the match. The Italian moved his opponent side to side from the baseline, dictating rallies with his trademark one-handed backhand. On his second match point, Musetti closed out the victory with a roar of relief.
"I honestly surprised myself a bit today," Musetti admitted. "After the break from hard courts I didn't know exactly where my level would be. But I fought through and I'm in the quarterfinals."
Musetti will face either Spanish qualifier Rafael Jodar or Japan's Kei Nishikori in the last eight, as he continues his build-up toward the US Open later this summer.
Washington has historically been a happy hunting ground for Italian tennis, and Musetti will look to extend his run when he returns to court on Thursday.
Sources
- https://www.ubitennis.com/blog/2026/07/29/atp-washington-musetti-e-tornato-batte-vukic-e-ritrova-un-quarto-di-finale-dopo-tre-mesi/
