Musetti After Goffin Win: 'This Is Proof I Have The Level'
Lorenzo Musetti made a splash in his Grand Slam main draw debut Monday evening when he beat 13th seed David Goffin 6-0, 7-5, 7-6(3) to reach the second round at Roland Garros.
Nine months ago, the #NextGenATP Italian was still outside the Top 250 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. But now the World No. 76, he has proven a tough foe for any opponent, dismissing 2016 quarter-finalist Goffin after two hours and 18 minutes.
“I think this is the proof that I have the level. Sometimes when I am not focussed and not playing really good, of course my level is not like today.
For sure I am playing better when I’m without pressure because today, I was playing really relaxed,” Musetti said. “Of course, it was not easy to win even if I was relaxed. When you play against the [No.]13 in the world, it’s not the same thing [like] playing [someone] worse than you [in] the rankings that you must [beat].”
Despite a slow start, Belgian put pressure on the 19-year-old, breaking the Italian when he served for the match twice in the third set. But Musetti did not fold, aggressively finishing the match with impressive shotmaking to advance in Paris.
“I was a little bit under pressure when I was serving for the match. He was always returning from the baseline really close to the line. He was giving me a lot of pressure,” Musetti said. “I just stayed calm and tried to think at each point, like the last one. I tried to [not] speak, [not] talk. It worked. I am happy about that.”
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Musetti broke serve six times and saved six of the eight break points he faced. Goffin, who made it to at least the third round here in five of the past six years, made 48 unforced errors, nearly doubling his opponent’s count (27). The 2017 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up felt the level on both sides was best towards the end of the match.
“I think the match started too late on my side. And then of course when you start too late and you have an opportunity and you just have one, if you don’t take it, then it’s too late,” Goffin said. “Then he finished it really well in the tie-break. But I think at the end, he was just solid. He played high, he served well, played higher with some spin and waiting for the mistake or the opportunity just to go for his shot.”
The #NextGenATP star will next play former World No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Japanese lefty Yoshihito Nishioka.
Did You Know?
This was Musetti’s fifth win of the season against a Top 20 opponent.