Lorenzo Musetti reaches his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon and will face Novak Djokovic
The Peninsula
LONDON: Lorenzo Musetti threw his head back and spread his arms wide to celebrate reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon, then covered h...
LONDON: Lorenzo Musetti threw his head back and spread his arms wide to celebrate reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon, then covered his face with both hands.
His 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Taylor Fritz on Wednesday was a big deal, to be sure. After all, the 25th-seeded Musetti, a 22-year-old from Italy, never had made it past the third round at the All England Club - or past the fourth round at any major tournament - until this fortnight.
Now, though, comes a far tougher test: taking on Novak Djokovic.
"He probably knows, better than me, the surface and the stadium, for sure,” Musetti said with a chuckle, aware he’ll be making his Centre Court debut on Friday. "Jokes apart, he’s a legend everywhere, but especially here in Wimbledon.”
This will be Djokovic's record-tying 13th semifinal at Wimbledon alone - equaling Roger Federer - and 49th Slam semifinal overall, extending a mark he already held. As Musetti pursues his first major championship, Djokovic seeks a 25th, including what would be an eighth at the All England Club.