Musetti rallies past Rublev for Top 5 breakthrough
In a humid Hong Kong semifinal, Lorenzo Musetti turned the tide against Andrey Rublev, securing a hard-fought win that vaults him into the ATP elite and sets up a title shot.
In the sticky evening air of Victoria Park, Lorenzo Musetti delivered a semifinal performance that doubled as a career milestone at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open. The top-seeded Italian rallied from a set down to defeat former champion Andrey Rublev 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-4, punching his ticket to a ninth ATP Tour final while clinching a career-high No. 5 ranking in the PIF ATP Live Rankings come Monday. This gritty win, on medium-paced hard courts that reward both power and placement, evens their head-to-head at 1-1 and chases away the ghosts of his title drought since 2022.
Musetti’s one-handed backhand carved through the tension early, firing inside-out winners to counter Rublev’s heavy topspin forehands. The Russian dominated the first set with a sharp 1–2 pattern, his serve-volleys pinning the Italian deep, but Musetti’s deep returns kept him in the fight, forcing longer exchanges where his footwork edged ahead.
“It was quite a match, I think I’ve never played like this here in Hong Kong,” said Musetti. “It was a really incredible level. Everytime I was raising his level, and in the end, I increased [mine]. So I’m really happy to be in the final.”
Second-set hold shifts momentum
With the score locked at 3-4 in the second set, Musetti stared down two break points in a service game that dragged through six deuces, per ATP Stats. He scrambled with low slices and crosscourt passes to save them, the crowd’s murmurs building to cheers as he held firm, flipping the psychological edge. This stand, laced with the humidity’s weight, sparked his break later in the set, his down-the-line forehand sealing it and carrying fire into the decider.
Rublev’s frustration showed in wide errors under the pressure, his baseline aggression cracking against Musetti’s varied depths. The Italian mixed underspin backhands to disrupt rhythm, turning defense into offense on the grippy surface that amplified his angles.
Decider adjustments seal the deal
In the third set, Musetti leaned into tactical tweaks, varying his backhand with more down-the-line strikes to exploit Rublev’s overhit forehands. A crucial break at 4-4 arrived via an inside-in forehand that grazed the line, propelling him to victory and underscoring his growth against big hitters. At 23, this run positions him as the third Italian in ATP history to reach the Top 5, following Adriano Panatta in 1976 and Jannik Sinner in 2024.
His Nitto ATP Finals debut last year hinted at this potential, but Hong Kong’s swing—blending clay echoes with hard-court bite—crystallized it. Musetti now eyes a final against second seed Alexander Bublik or Marcos Giron, while partnering Lorenzo Sonego in Sunday’s doubles final adds another shot at silverware. This breakthrough feels like exhaled tension, priming him for a 2026 season built on sustained confidence rather than pursuit. For deeper match insights, explore the ATP Tour coverage.
