Lorenzo Musetti will look to build on his big upset of Novak Djokovic when he faces fellow Italian Jannik Sinner in the Monte-Carlo quarterfinals on Friday. Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune are also aiming for a semifinal spot.
(16) Lorenzo Musetti vs. (7) Jannik Sinner
A Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters quarterfinal featuring Sinner and Novak Djokovic would have been a blockbuster matchup worthy of the final, but it won’t happen. Instead, Friday’s schedule includes an all-Italian battle between Sinner and Musetti. Djokovic bowed out to Musetti 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in a third-round thriller that lasted two hours and 54 minutes on Thursday afternoon. Sinner almost didn’t make to the quarterfinals, either, as he saved one match point in the second set of his match against Hubert Hurkacz before prevailing 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-1.
The result is a second meeting between the two rising Italian stars, with Sinner having taken their only previous encounter 7-5, 6-2 on the indoor hard courts of Antwerp in 2021. Clay will give Musetti a better chance, but the chips are still stacked against him. Not only does he have to get right back in action following such a physically and mentally taxing win, but he also runs into a red-hot opponent. Sinner is 23-5 in 2023 and has climbed to No. 8 in the world. He probably won’t have too much trouble taking advantage of a fatigued compatriot.
Pick: Sinner in 2
(3) Daniil Medvedev vs. (6) Holger Rune
While Rune enjoyed an off day thanks to the withdrawal of Matteo Berrettini, Medvedev and Alexander Zverev were busy slugging it out well into the night. Zverev served for the match twice–once in each of the last two sets–only to see Medvedev survive 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7) in three hours and five minutes.
The week has been a breeze for Rune. Following a first-round bye, the 19-year-old Dane cruised past Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-4, so he has played a total of only two quick sets prior to the quarterfinals. That is just what the doctor ordered for Rune in advance of what is sure to be a tough, physical baseline battle with the counter-punching Medvedev. As long as the 2022 French Open quarterfinalist makes a point to play aggressively and doesn’t get sucked into long rallies on a nonstop basis, he will likely end what has been a solid tournament by Medvedev’s clay-court standards.
Pick: Rune in 3
WWW?
I have Sinner in 2, Med in 3
Will kind of take it safe regarding the Sinner match. SINNER and Medvedev both to win. Tasty odds.
Are you sure? Musetti would have to be the best clay courter Sinner has faced and Musetti is a genuine clay courter, Sinner is not.
Sinner has played a lot of tennis, too. At what point does that all catch up with him.
Med is going to lose this match. He has come out flat after using up so much nervous energy last night. Missing routine shots. Nothing like the player he was last night.
Best clay court player of the three Russians, Medvedev, Khachanov, and Rublev?
I really don’t know!!
Med was actually pretty good against Zverev. Was good in that RG qf against Tsitsi a couple of years ago…
Not Khachanov!!
It is hard to pick one! I used to think Rublev would be the best one on clay, but he needs to add some power or shots.
I missed the Medvedev/Zverev match.
I will only watch Rublev SF if it looks like Rublev is winning.
I can’t watch you know who because unless he is losing I get in a bad mood.
For me the big problem with Rublev is his lack of variety and his second serve..
This first set of Sinner vs. Mussetti was all Sinner and rather blah until Musetti crafted a brilliant drop shot and got two games in the first set. Maybe the second set will be more lively.
Sinner playing very well. Would be great to see him win a masters.
Anyone but you know who…😠
Yes, I agree. It’s going to make tennis a drag if that guy wins anything.
It’s bound to happen 😖
So can Rublev beat him? I really hope so…you know who wasn’t very good early on in the tournament…
I have to confess I have my doubts about Rublev on clay.
He really needs a good net and transition game..
Rublev wasn’t very good early on?
Sorry, Amy, I have not been watching much of Monte Carlo.
Maybe I didn’t think Novak would win, so I that’s what I do now – wait until the SF, F and see if I want to watch. There is only that one ATP player, but he will ruin it.
No Fritz wasn’t good early on.. Not on the fh side..
Novak was incredibly out of sorts. He got a very bad call when the ball was way out and the crowd booed him viciously for querying it. After that he went downhill.
Rune to win it
Love to see Rune win!
Rune is looking good. Like Alcaraz he has a lot of variety and both are fierce competitor s.
Wouldn’t be surprised if he wins…
Easy win for Sinner..
And Mussetti is out.
Sinner vs. Rune SF
Well that is one match I can watch! May not watch the other one unless live scores is highly promising..
Yeah, there is no joy in watching Andrey lose that SF.
What the heck is wrong with Tsitsipas?
I can’t even stand hearing the Tennis Channel people talk about Fritz 😖
I only saw the last 2 games and Tsitsi made a string of ues on his fh.
If that was the story of the match no wonder he lost. He has been very unreliable for ages now.
I can well imagine how awful the American commentary about you know who would be.
Rublev tends to be his own worst enemy but one can hope. I think the winner of Sinner against Rune will win the whole thing…
Nole should have known better, why would you bring your kids to watch you if you know the crowd would be hostile towards you, and he knew it, just put unnecessary pressure on himself.
Sitting in his chair and watching the kids while the crowd is booing you for something that you actually were absolutely right to complain and the kids are in disbelief “why they don’t like our father”?
He played badly before but he completely fell apart after that and yet he could still have won the match in two sets?!
There are no love lost between him and French chair umpire, she did the same in the match against Danny Evans on the same court few years back, she was the chair umpire at USO when Karen flopped. To my memory Rafa had running with her too.
I hope he can pull together for the next week Srpska Open and find his game, otherwise forget about FO. There are some colourful players and promising matches, at least he will have the fans on his side for sure😉
I was hoping he will have decent result in MC, never saw him winning, so he can skip Madrid but now he has to play Madrid too, I never liked Madrid one.