Uberto de Morpurgo achieved a medal for Italy in men’s tennis during the 1924 Paris Olympics. One hundred years later, Lorenzo Musetti followed in his footsteps and secured a bronze medal in men’s singles in the French capital. In the semi-final, Lorenzo was defeated by Novak Djokovic and then faced Felix Auger-Aliassime in a battle for the bronze.
Lorenzo overcame Felix with a score of 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, recovering his performance after a weak second set and making history for Italian tennis. Musetti has been one of the most consistent players since the Roland Garros tournament, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic.
After his solid match against Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-final, Musetti prepared for the Olympic Games in Umag. On Saturday night, Lorenzo played in the final, but unfortunately fell and had to take an early flight to Paris on Sunday.
Later that day, Musetti faced Gael Monfils in the first round of the Olympic Games. He won the match in straight sets, marking the beginning of another remarkable campaign. In the semi-final, the Italian was once again defeated by Novak Djokovic, but he claimed the bronze medal the following day by defeating the Canadian in two hours and 15 minutes.
Lorenzo maintained his composure in the deciding set, serving well and securing a crucial break that ultimately led him to victory. Auger-Aliassime had a slow start, facing five break points in the first game and making a backhand error to fall behind.
Both players served well in the next six games, with Felix hitting a smash winner at 2-4 to stay within one break deficit. In the eighth game, the Italian wasted a game point and faced a break point after the Canadian’s volley winner. Lorenzo made a volley error, losing his serve and allowing Felix to equalize at 4-4.
However, Auger-Aliassime made a forehand error in the ninth game, losing his serve and giving Musetti a 5-4 lead. The Italian served for the set in the tenth game and held at love with a service winner, winning the set 6-4 after 50 minutes.
In the second set, Felix raised his level of play, holding his serve four times and breaking Lorenzo’s serve twice to force a deciding set.
In the second game, Auger-Aliassime hit a deep return, earning a break and taking the lead. The Canadian saved a break point in the third game and missed another opportunity in the next game. Felix won the fifth game with a service winner and continued to put pressure on Musetti in the following game.
Lorenzo missed a game point and was broken after Felix hit a backhand down the line winner. The Canadian secured the set with a hold in the seventh game, capitalizing on an Italian backhand mistake. After an hour and 29 minutes, the match entered a deciding set.
In the final set, Musetti raised his level of play, holding his serve five times and maintaining the pressure on his opponent. Lorenzo won the first and third games with a score of 30 and seized an opportunity on the return at 2-1. Felix faced two break points but saved them with winners, holding his serve and staying on the positive side.
They performed admirably in the following three games, with Musetti establishing a 4-3 lead. The Italian made a strong move on the opponent’s serve in the eighth game, capitalizing on a loose forehand from the Canadian and taking a 5-3 advantage.
Lorenzo had the opportunity to serve for a bronze medal in the ninth game and sealed the deal with an ace, earning two match points. Musetti successfully converted the first match point with a drop shot winner, resulting in Italy’s first Olympic medal in a century. The victorious Italian expressed his joy and acknowledged that the medal was well-deserved after his exceptional performance over the past six days.
Lorenzo would have competed for a gold medal, but Novak Djokovic proved to be too formidable in their semi-final encounter. The experienced player defeated the young talent 6-4, 6-2, marking his third victory over Musetti in the past two months at prestigious tournaments.
Novak and Lorenzo engaged in a competitive battle during the first set, with the Serbian player securing a crucial break in the tenth game to take the lead. Musetti struggled to hold his serve in the second set, enduring five consecutive breaks and ultimately ending up on the losing side.
Novak experienced discomfort in his troublesome knee the previous night against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Despite facing three set points in the second set, Djokovic managed to overcome a 5-2 deficit and secure victory in straight sets, conserving his energy.
He made a swift recovery and encountered no difficulties against Musetti, showcasing excellent movement and outplaying his young opponent on both serve and return. Novak capitalized on half of the points behind Lorenzo’s initial shot, securing five breaks out of 13 opportunities and advancing to the title match.
Lorenzo bounced back from the defeat and commenced a fresh challenge the following day against Felix, ultimately clinching the bronze medal for Italy. He then embraced a well-deserved period of rest after opting out of the Masters 1000 event in Montreal. Lorenzo will make his return to the court in Cincinnati, using it as his final preparation for the upcoming major event in New York.
Photo by Lorenzo Musetti Instagram
