Musetti in the final today in Monte Carlo after a comeback over De Minaur

Yet another comeback but this time it is worth more because it takes him to the final in Monte Carlo! Lorenzo Musetti beat Alex De Minaur at the end of a tormented match: it ended 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in over two and a half hours. Today, in his first final in a Masters 1000 at the age of 23, he is expected to play Carlos Alcaraz who beat Alejandro Davidovic Fokina in the other semi-final 7-6 (2), 6-4

The start was shocking, with the Australian (world number 10) 3-0 ahead within minutes. Powerful, precise, De Minaur commanded the exchanges while the Italian was in disarray and unable to interrupt relentless geometries. It ended 6-1 in 36 minutes.

The rain interruption was propitious, then in the opening of the second set Lorenzo reacted and went ahead 2-0, he had the ball of 3-0 that he did not transform. The match had changed, decisively, but Musetti was caught up, thanks to a few too many errors, and then it was neck and neck until 4-2, when the Italian broke his opponent's serve, playing a masterful game and closing the score 6-4. The crowd was all on his side and continued to cheer throughout the third set, which was tense and swinging, with several breaks and counterbreaks. Musetti grabbed the tiebreak (after going to serve for the match at 5-4) and brought it home with great personality, 7-4: the emotion was irrepressible.

Even in this match for tennis fans, there were moments of ecstasy for some of Lorenzo's feats, such as a running forehand pass, crossed tightly - on 1-all 15-all in the third set - or a couple of accelerations with a backhand longline. Audience on their feet... in front of the TV too.

With this victory, the Tuscan tennis player moves up to 11th place in the rankings, his best position. He reached the final with Alcaraz after beating another top ten player in the quarters, Stefanos Tsitsipas (defending champion in Monte Carlo), and before that Matteo Berrettini (only victory in two sets), Lehecka and Bu.