“I’m just happy to feel the good rhythm, feel the good tennis again here in Rome, and obviously this match has given me a lot of confidence.” A jubilant Carlos Alcaraz said on Wednesday after making his way into the Italian Open’s semis. It’s the first time he’s accomplished the feat at this ATP 1000 event. After the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open, it’s the third straight campaign this season where he’s entered as one of the last four finalists. However, the four-time slam champion’s yet to cross the finish line by winning the trophy. For that, he’s got one more obstacle to clear. On Friday, he will step on the clay court in Rome against home favorite, Lorenzo Musetti. Will the Spanish Magician clear this round and make it to the summit clash?
Carlos Alcaraz v Lorenzo Musetti: Preview
Carlos Alcaraz’s 2025 season kicked off on a high note back in January as he made it to the QF stage of the Happy Slam. He couldn’t move forward, though, after losing against 24-time slam king Novak Djokovic. However, the Spaniard didn’t take much time in winning his first ATP title of this year. In Rotterdam, he clinched his maiden indoor hard court trophy after besting Alex de Minaur in the summit clash. In Doha, too, he maintained his consistency and reached the last eight before losing against Jiri Lehecka. Going into the Indian Wells Masters, he was looking to win his third straight title in the Californian desert. However, all his hopes died down after crashing out in the SF against eventual winner, Jack Draper.
But then came a shocking outcome for Alcaraz in Miami where he was kicked out in the first round. Belgium’s David Goffin edged him out with a score line of 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. While this setback was big, it didn’t deter Carlos Alcaraz’s form too much. And guess what? In the next event at the Monte Carlo Masters, he won his second ATP trophy of the season. In the final, he outperformed Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti with a score line of 3-6, 6-1, 6-0. Then at the Barcelona Open, too, he was on the brink of clinching a third straight title. Sadly, it didn’t happen as Denmark’s Holger Rune beat the Spaniard in the summit clash.
Entering the Italian Open, Alacaraz began his campaign with a straight set victory over Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic. He then took down another Serbian, Laslo Djere, in the R32, before edging out Russia’s Karen Khachanov in R16. On Wednesday, he avenged his Indian Wells SF loss against Draper after besting him in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) in the QF stage.
Speaking of his opponent, Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti has had a decent, if not impressive, season so far. Back in January, he managed to reach the QF of the Hong Kong Open. However, he failed to go past the third round of the Australian Open. Musetti bounced back soon and reached the last eight of the next tournament in Argentina. But then, he went on to have back-to-back poor campaigns. At the Indian Wells and the Miami Open, he crashed out in R32 and R16 respectively.
However, he soon found the lost rhythm and made it to the summit clash in Monte Carlo. Unfortunately, he couldn’t win against an in-form Alcaraz. Another reason for his defeat was his leg injury that he sustained during the course of the match. But Musetti maintained his form in the next event. At the Madrid Open, he made it to the SF stage before losing against Jack Draper. Coming into the Italian Open, he kicked off his campaign with a straight set win over Finnish pro Otto Virtanen. Then in R32, he took down American Brandon Nakashima before ousting Daniil Medvedev in the R16. On Thursday, he bested another formidable opponent, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, in straight sets (7-6(1), 6-4) to reach the semis in Rome.
Alcaraz v Musetti: Head-to-Head
Both players have met five times across ATP events in their careers. Currently, Alcaraz leads the h2h tally 4-1 against Musetti. When they faced each other the last time, it wasn’t too long ago. Last month, Alcaraz emerged victorious in the final battle against the Italian and captured his maiden trophy at the Monte Carlo Masters.
2025 Monte Carlo Masters F: Alcaraz 3-6, 6-1, 6-0
2024 Miami Open R16: Alcaraz 6-3, 6-3
2023 China Open R16: Alcaraz 6-2, 6-2
2023 French Open R16: Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
2022 German Open Final: Musetti 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4
Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz to win in straight sets
Carlos Alcaraz has a huge advantage over Lorenzo Musetti when it comes to singles stats this season. With an impressive win percentage of 84.84, he’s clinched 28 of his 33 matches already. On the other hand, the Italian has won 20 of his 26 encounters. But what about their event history?
Well, Alcaraz has played only once in the past at the Italian Open. During the 2023 edition, he failed to create much impact after losing against Hungarian Fábián Marozsán in R32. This season, however, he’s earned his best campaign. Speaking of Musetti, he’s had a long experience of competing in Rome. But so far, he’s not been able to impress with a deep run. His ongoing campaign has yielded the best result yet. In the last three appearances (2021, 2023, and 2024), he couldn’t go past R32, R16, and R64.
Coming onto their playing styles, Alcaraz has got an unmatched athleticism on the court. Combine that with his remarkable ability of hitting near-perfect drop shots at will. He utilizes his powerful groundstrokes to build extra pressure on the opponents and takes crucial points. On the other hand, Musetti possesses a solid one-handed backhand to dominate his rivals. But he doesn’t solely rely on speed and power alone. He can also hit smart drop shots to earn key points during long rallies. He’s a great mover as well on the court between the baseline and the net.
Considering the overall form in 2025, Carlos Alcaraz appears to be the favorite for Friday’s battle. He’s expected to maintain his dominance over Musetti by winning the semifinal in straight sets.
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