The world No. 23 Lorenzo Musetti will have his task cut out in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Paris Masters as he goes up against Novak Djokovic.
After winning the Tennis Napoli Cup, Musetti was ousted in the first round of the Basel Open. However, he has put that disappointment behind him and played some fantastic tennis in the Paris Masters so far.
The 20-year-old produced a solid display to get past former US Open champion Marin Cilic in the first round. In the round of 32, Musetti was at his dominant best as he ousted Nikoloz Basilashvili in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. World No. 3 Casper Ruud faced Musetti in the round of 16. The Norwegian youngster was the favorite going into the match. Ruud won the first set and it seemed that it was only a matter of time before he progressed to the quarterfinals. However, Musetti had other plans as he bounced back strongly to win the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. This was his first-ever top-5 win.
The 35-year-old has come into the tournament riding some excellent form as he won the Tel Aviv Open and the Astana Open quite comprehensively.
Djokovic received a first-round bye and faced America’s Maxime Cressy in the round of 32. The six-time champion at Paris Masters won a tight first set against a determined Cressy. In the second set, the score was at 4-4 when Djokovic broke Cressy’s serve and closed out the match in the following game to win 7-6 (7-1), 6-4. In the round of 16, Djokovic got the better of Karen Khachanov in straight sets 6-4, 6-1 to continue his marauding run in the competition.
The head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 2-0 in favor of the Serbian legend. He defeated Musetti in their most recent encounter at the 2021 French Open after the youngster had to retire during the fifth set in what was a memorable affair.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.
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