Monte Carlo Masters 2023: Novak Djokovic Upset By Lorenzo Musetti In Last 16. Italian player Lorenzo Musetti caused an upset in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters by defeating world number one Novak Djokovic in three sets, marking Musetti’s most significant career victory.
Djokovic won the opening set but eventually lost 4-6 7-5 6-4 in a match that had to be paused for an hour due to rain. During the two-hour 54-minute match, Lorenzo Musetti, world number 87, broke Novak Djokovic’s serve eight times.
Djokovic, the two-time champion and top-ranked player in the tournament, had lost serve only 17 times in his 17 previous matches this year, despite not playing since early March. Musetti will advance to the quarter-finals where he will play against fellow Italian Jannik Sinner.
Comment Of Novak Djokovic On This Loss
Lorenzo Musetti expressed that he was struggling to hold back tears. He also described his win as emotional due to the lengthy match. Expressing his pride as the 16th seed, he noted that it was a dream come true for him, which was evident on the screen. In contrast, Novak Djokovic, the 22-time Grand Slam champion from Serbia, remarked that he did not believe the loss was catastrophic.
However, he admitted to feeling terrible after the tournament ousted him. He congratulated Musetti for maintaining his composure in critical moments and stated that he had nothing further to say.
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Other Updates On Monte Carlo Masters 2023
Musetti’s victory earned him a spot in the quarter-finals against Jannik Sinner. Sinner is the seventh seed, who came back from a set and match point down to beat Hubert Hurkacz. Sinner, a quarter-finalist in Monaco last year, won the match 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1.
During other matches, Daniil Medvedev, the Miami Open champion, defeated Alexander Zverev in a thrilling match. Medvedev saved two match points before winning a third-set tie-break. Medvedev, the third seed, will face Danish sixth seed Holger Rune in the next round. This is because the Italian Matteo Berrettini withdrew due to injury. Meanwhile, defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Nicolas Jarry 6-3 6-4 in the last-16 match.
However, earlier in the day, German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff upset fourth seed Casper Ruud 6-1 7-6 (8-6), ending Ruud’s nine-match winning streak on clay that dated back to July 2022.
