Lorenzo Musetti, a 22-year-old Italian tennis player, has reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon after defeating Taylor Fritz in a thrilling five-set match, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. This victory marks a significant milestone in Musetti’s career, as he had never previously advanced past the third round at Wimbledon or the fourth round at any major tournament.Musetti will face seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Djokovic advanced without playing after his quarterfinal opponent, Alex de Minaur, withdrew due to a hip injury. De Minaur suffered a small cartilage tear during his previous match against Arthur Fils, forcing him to make the difficult decision to withdraw.Musetti acknowledges the challenge of facing Djokovic, saying, ‘I think he masters the surface and the Centre Court better than me… It’s always been big battles and I hope it will be the case on Friday. I think it’s one of the toughest challenges on the circuit and I’m facing it, but I have the chance to take it on. I’ll give it 100% and we’ll see what happens’.In a historic moment for Italian tennis, Jasmine Paolini has also reached the semifinals in the women’s draw. Paolini will face Donna Vekic in her semifinal match, marking her second consecutive Grand Slam semifinal appearance. This achievement means that Italy has two players in the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time in history.The other men’s semifinal will feature defending champion Carlos Alcaraz against Daniil Medvedev. In the women’s draw, 2022 champion Elena Rybakina will face Barbora Krejcikova in the other semifinal match.
Key points
- Lorenzo Musetti reaches his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon, defeating Taylor Fritz in five sets.
- Novak Djokovic advances to the semifinals without playing due to Alex de Minaur’s injury withdrawal.
- Jasmine Paolini also reaches the Wimbledon semifinals, marking a historic moment for Italian tennis.
- Italy has two players in the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time in history.
