Musetti Stuns Fritz to Reach Maiden Australian Open Quarter-Final

Melbourne, Jan 26: Italian star Lorenzo Musetti produced a poised and authoritative display to defeat ninth-seeded American Taylor Fritz in straight sets, advancing to the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time in his career. The 21-year-old’s 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 victory marked one of the most complete performances of his Grand Slam journey so far and underlined his growing maturity on the sport’s biggest stage.

From the opening exchanges, Musetti asserted control over the match, blending precision, variety and intelligent shot selection to keep Fritz under constant pressure. The Italian’s serve was a standout weapon throughout the contest, allowing him to dictate points and deny the American any sustained momentum. Musetti won an outstanding 84 per cent of points on his first serve and remained calm and efficient on key points, rarely allowing Fritz to settle into his baseline rhythm.

The opening set was a one-sided affair, with Musetti breaking early and racing to a comfortable 6-2 lead. His ability to mix heavy topspin with deft touch at the net left Fritz scrambling, and the American struggled to find answers as unforced errors crept into his game.

The second set proved more competitive, with Fritz raising his intensity and pushing Musetti in longer rallies. However, the Italian showed remarkable composure at crucial moments, saving pressure situations with confident serving and sharp returns. A timely break late in the set allowed Musetti to edge it 7-5, firmly swinging the momentum in his favour.

Carrying that confidence into the third set, Musetti remained focused and disciplined. He continued to apply pressure with deep groundstrokes and well-timed changes of pace, eventually sealing the match 6-4 without facing any serious danger. The straight-sets win reflected his dominance across all three sets and his growing belief on hard courts.

Reflecting on the victory, Musetti described his serving performance as one of the best of his career. “Today my serve was really working well. I think I made one of my best performances in aces so far, so I’m really happy,” he said. “My goal was to start this year strongly because I’d never gone past the first week here. Making the final in Hong Kong, winning doubles there, and now reaching the quarter-finals — it really feels like a dream.”

The win sets up a blockbuster quarter-final clash against record 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who advanced after Jakub Mensik withdrew with an abdominal injury. Acknowledging the challenge ahead, Musetti expressed admiration for the Serbian great, calling every meeting with Djokovic “a lesson” and an opportunity to improve.

Djokovic leads their ATP Head2Head 9-1 and enters the contest with a six-match winning streak over Musetti, along with a string of historic milestones, setting the stage for a compelling quarter-final showdown.

Final Score: Lorenzo Musetti def. Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5, 6-4

Team Maverick