Novak Djokovic is still waiting for his first Monte Carlo quarter-final after 2019! Novak fell to Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 54 minutes for another early exit in the Principality. Musetti came from 4-2 down in the second set and stole Djokovic’s serve once in the decider to emerge at the top. The opening set lasted 50 minutes and saw five breaks of serve in ten games. Novak served at 80% but almost spoiled everything after losing serve two times. However, he broke the young gun three times to emerge at the top and forge the initial lead. Musetti sprayed a forehand error in the fourth game to fall 3-1 behind before pulling the break back in the next one after Djokovic’s loose backhand. Novak stayed calm and grabbed another break in game six to open a 4-2 gap and settle into a nice rhythm. World no. 1 produced a fine hold in game seven and created two set points on the return at 5-2.
Lorenzo Musetti defeated Novak Djokovic in three sets in Monte Carlo.
Lorenzo denied them with service winners and held to reduce the deficit and prolong the battle. Djokovic served for the set in game nine and earned his third set point. Musetti erased it with a mighty forehand down the line winner and broke back with a forehand crosscourt winner. Novak returned at 5-4 and secured his third break with a smash winner to grab the set after a massive battle. The second set lasted 70 minutes and was a wild one! They traded nine breaks in 12 games, with Musetti stealing Djokovic’s serve five times to clinch it 7-5 and introduce a decider. The set started with four straight breaks before Novak delivered another in game six with a backhand winner that propelled him 4-2 up and closer to the finish line. Lorenzo kept pushing and pulled the break back in game seven after forcing Novak’s error.
Feeling confident about his shots, Musetti broke again in game nine to rattle off three straight games and move 5-4 up. The Italian served for the set in game ten and sprayed a forehand error to keep the Serb in contention. Instead of building on that, Novak lost serve at love in game 11, broke his racquet and received a warning. Lorenzo served for the set at 6-5 and held at 15 to introduce a decider after two hours and one minute. The rain sent them off the court in the third set’s third game, and Lorenzo broke in the seventh game once they returned. The Italian saved a break point at 5-4 and seized the fourth match point to score a career-best victory.
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