The first is a heart with a tennis racket in the middle, the second is a ship’s anchor with “family” written on it and the third is a phrase shared with his coach: “Il meglio deve ancora venire.”
It translates: “The best is yet to come.”
Well, Musetti has saved the best tennis of his fledgling career for the grass of the All England Club and, to be specific, in the fifth set of a three-and-a-half hour marathon against American favourite Fritz. After four sets of back and forth, momentum swings aplenty, Musetti wiped out Fritz 6-1 in the final set with a stunning array of old-school, grass-court tennis.
We’re talking exquisite drop shots, caressed backhand slices and carefully placed volleys. And, of course, some spectacular single-handed backhands. Lump in a host of variety alongside deep-rooted aggression and you get this: a player right at the top of his game on the slick grass of Wimbledon. And after taking Novak Djokovic to five sets and 3am at Roland Garros a month or so ago, the Italian will be quietly confident of an upset against the Serb in the final four tomorrow.
“I mean, I probably have no words,” he said after reaching his first major semi-final. “It’s tough to speak, but I’ll try my best. I think I [haven’t] realised yet what I’ve done.
This story is from the July 11, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the July 11, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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