Musetti eliminates Perricard 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in opening round

Lorenzo Musetti from Italy is ranked and seeded tenth at the season’s final slam. The twenty-three-year-old reached a career high rank of #6 in June following his maiden semifinal at Roland Garros. While he hopes to surpass his two 3rd-round appearances in NY (2022, 2024), a formidable opponent awaited him in the opening round.

The 6’8 Frenchman posed a serious threat. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard reached a career-high ranking of #29 last season but is currently #37 and consequently, not seeded. The twenty-two-year-old with two career titles broke the tournament record at Wimbledon this spring with a 153mph serve.

This was their third tour-level meeting and first on the hard court. The Italian won both; each contested on grass. Mpetshi Perricard won the toss and chose to serve. The Frenchman fired two aces, an inside-out forehand winner, and held at love while the Italian returned the favor, holding at love to level.

Photo: AFP

M.Perricard made 4/5 first serves, including a winning serve and volley point to clinch the game, while Musetti struck four consecutive winners, including an ace, to hold at love to level. M. Perricard replied with two winning forehands and a love hold for 3-2.

Musetti hit two consecutive winners, including another ace, and held easily to 15 while M. Perricard missed 3/5 first serves yet held to 15 for parity. The Italian serving with new balls missed 3/5 first serves but held to 15, while his opponent donated a double fault but held with two winners, including a 136mph ace up the tee.  

Musetti serving to stay in the set struck two additional aces and held easily for 5-5 while the Frenchman held to 15 with an ace down the middle. The Italian serving to stay in the set and force the breaker, held at love with two consecutive winners, including his fifth ace. M. Perricard secured the tiebreak 7-3 as Musetti gifted six unforced errors to concede it and the set.

The Italian served first in the second and held at love with two additional aces while the Frenchman made 4/4 first serves, including two colossal aces to level at one with a love hold. Musetti made 3/5 first serves and held easily to 15 with an outstanding serve and spectacular forehand down the line.

M. Perricard, serving with new balls, struggled and faced deuce – the first for either player! Although he hit an ace up the tee, he donated two additional double faults, faced a break point – the first for either player - and dumped serve when his volley went wide.  The Italian wasted no time consolidating the break at love for 4-1 with two consecutive aces.

M. Perricard made 3/4 first serves, including a serve and following point, and held to love for 2-4 while Musetti hit three winners, including a running forehand down the line and an inside-in backhand on game point for 5-2.

The Frenchman serving to stay in the set opened and closed with aces for another love hold, while the Italian opened with an incredible inside-out forehand and sealed the set with an unreturnable serve.

M. Perricard served first in the third and though he opened with an ace, faced three deuce and two break points before holding with two consecutive formidable forehand winners. Musetti continued to serve with authority, making 5/5 and held to 15 to level at one.

The Frenchman opened the third with a crisp crosscourt backhand volley and held to 15 while Musetti made 3/4 first serves and held at love. M. Perricard opened the fifth with a double fault but held to 15 with two additional winners, including an ace up the tee. Musetti kept his foot on the gas, making 3/4 first serves and held at love to level at three.

The Frenchman once again struggled, gifting three additional double faults, the last to drop serve. Musetti hit three consecutive winners, including an ace up the tee, and consolidated the break at love to lead 5-3.

M. Perricard, serving to stay in the set, made 4/5 first serves and held to 15 for 4-5 while Musetti, serving for a two sets to one lead, made 4/5 first serves, including an ace down the middle, and clinched the set 6-4.

The Frenchman served first in the fourth and though he missed 5/9 first serves, including a double fault, faced two deuce and break point, battled, and held. Musetti eased to another love hold to level at 1-1.

M. Perricard, serving with new balls donated three unforced errors, including a double fault, but survived two deuce and a break point with three winning overheads. Musetti opened the fourth with an ace out wide and held to 15 for 2-2.

M. Perricard opened with a double fault and dumped serve with two consecutive mishit forehands. The Italian was brimming with confidence as he struck two consecutive winners to consolidate the break at love for 4-2. The Frenchman made 5/5 first serves, including an ace out wide on game point, while Musetti struck an ace up the tee and held at love for 5-3.

M. Perricard, serving to stay in the match, opened with an extraordinary forehand down the line and held at love with two consecutive winners, including a cross-court backhand pass. The world #10 serving for the second round donated two consecutive errors, including a double fault, but secured victory with an ace up the tee and a netted forehand from his opponent.

It was a riveting slugfest from two of the tour's most talented young players. Musetti dialed in from the start, played with a sense of urgency while the Frenchman was intermittently flat.

Both struck thirteen aces, but M. Perricard had nine more double faults (10/1) than the Italian. While both earned an incredibly high percentage of first serve points won, Musetti surpassed the big-hitting Frenchman on second serve points, winning a staggering 88%. Musetti did not face a break point and converted 3/8. While both hit thirty-nine winners, the Frenchman was undone by thirty-six unforced errors.

This was, without question, an exceedingly tough first-round match. Up next for the tenth seed is former world #7 David Goffin. The thirty-four-year-old Belgian is currently ranked #80 but won their last match in three sets at the Shanghai Rolex Masters last fall.