Musetti edges Hurkacz in two tie-breaks to set up Zverev clash in Paris

Lorenzo Musetti carried his good form from Lyon into the Rolex Paris Masters on Monday. The Italian beat Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(3), 7-6(10) in a first-round match with no breaks of serve, and he needed four match points to finish it. His reward is a second-round meeting with new world No. 1 Alexander Zverev.

Decided on a handful of points

The opening match on Court Central lasted one hour and 43 minutes. It was as close as the score suggests. According to Ubitennis, both players won exactly 76 points. Neither dropped serve, and Hurkacz had only one break point all afternoon, at 2-2 in the first set. Musetti saved it.

Musetti controlled the first tie-break and took it 7-3. The second was much tighter. He saved two set points and then let three match points go before converting his fourth, nine minutes after the first one came up. On the last point he defended well enough to force Hurkacz into a volley error, and he won the tie-break 12-10.

For a player usually known for his touch and variety, the serve was what made the difference. "One of my best performances on serve," Musetti said afterwards, according to Tennis Majors.

Momentum from Lyon

The win extends a strong spell for the Italian. Just over a week ago, he beat Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4 in the Lyon final for his first tour-level title since 2022, ending a long run of defeats in finals. On the way to that title he beat Luca Van Assche in the quarter-finals and saved four match points against compatriot Flavio Cobolli in the semi-finals.

WTAHumbert survives late-night thriller to end losing run in Paris

It was a less happy day for the other Italians in Paris. Luciano Darderi lost 6-2, 6-2 in 64 minutes to qualifier Rinky Hijikata. Eurosport reported that he had been dealing with flu-like symptoms before the tournament. Matteo Arnaldi lost in three sets to Cameron Norrie. Two Italian qualifiers, Lorenzo Sonego and Mattia Bellucci, were scheduled to play each other later on Monday, so at least one more Italian will reach the second round.

Musetti leads Zverev 3-2

Next up is Zverev, the top seed. The German starts with a bye and arrives in Paris as world No. 1 for the first time, after clinching the top spot in Vienna last week and ending Jannik Sinner's 95-week reign. Musetti has a winning record against him. He leads their head-to-head 3-2, and his wins include the 2024 Paris Olympics and Vienna in the same year.

Zverev has more riding on this week. Paris is his first tournament since becoming No. 1, and he was knocked out in the Vienna semi-finals by Alex de Minaur. Musetti has already beaten him in Paris, at the Olympics at Roland Garros, and on Monday he showed he can hold serve under pressure.