Many may have assumed that the grass court season was one Lorenzo Musetti would write off. The Italian had never won an ATP match on the surface before this year, and the man known primarily as a clay court specialist may have been tempted to relax somewhat before the post-Wimbledon clay court tournaments and then the North American hard court season.
However, the 21-year-old has knuckled down and shown positive signs on grass for the first time. He was a tiebreak away from reaching the semifinals in Stuttgart, losing out to the eventual champion Francis Tiafoe. At Queen’s he reached the quarterfinals once again, being defeated by fellow young talent Holger Rune. Whilst not results to send shock waves through the tennis world, a record of four wins and two losses is a positive building block for a man who had previously lost all four of his matches on grass.
What changed?
Is there any specific reason for Musetti’s better grass court results? He has been unfortunate in the past two years at Wimbledon, drawing Taylor Fritz and Hubert Hurkacz as an unseeded player in the first round. But he was beaten easily in straight sets in both matches, never looking at all comfortable on the grass, regardless who his opponent was. Therefore there must be a technical element to his improvement.
One factor is how Musetti has developed his slice backhand. With the long swing the Italian has on his single-handed backhand, he is still not always comfortable hitting through the ball off that wing on the quicker and skiddier grass courts. His improved slice has protected that side better, and is of course a particularly valuable shot for all players to use on grass. Musetti’s movement is also looking more comfortable than previously on grass, showing the importance of playing matches and learning how to play on a surface.
There are still many elements to work on for the NextGen star on grass. Learning to hit through the backhand more consistently, making his already impressive forehand as potent a weapon on grass as it is on clay, and being more comfortable coming forward to the net. But he is already making progress at such a young age, and he deserves credit for showing dedication to improve his game on a surface he isn’t naturally as comfortable on.
Lorenzo Musetti at Wimbledon 2023
Musetti couldn’t have a better first-round match on paper. He faces clay court specialist Juan Pablo Varillas, who has never previously played an ATP match on grass. But the projected draw is tough after that. Second round he could play huge serving and 2018 Wimbledon semifinalist John Isner. Third round he is projected to face 2021 semifinalist Hubert Hurkacz. The prize if he were to overcome those stiff chllenges? The small matter of seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic in Round 4.
The likelihood of Musetti overcoming the best grass court player in the world at this stage of his grass court development seems very remote. But don’t rule out his chances of reaching Round 4. He would start as an underdog in a Round 3 match with Hurkacz, but Musetti is a much better grass court player than their Wimbledon meeting two years ago, and has a chance.
Regardless of how he performs at this year’s championships, Lorenzo Musetti has shown the right mentality to improve his grass court game, and this rising star of the game will continue to get better with each passing year.
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
