Lorenzo Musetti admitted he didn’t play his best tennis in the Naples final because he was «very excited and nervous» about the fact that he was playing an Italian in the final of an Italian tournament.
On Sunday, Musetti defeated fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini 7-6(5) 6-2. After the final, Musetti praised Berrettini’s effort and recognized that his compatriot was not 100%. Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up, was hampered by a foot injury.
“It was a very tough first set. very long and [no breaks]. matthew is [a competitor], he was not 100 percent physically. His ability to stay to the end, to fight to the end, was a big problem for me to solve. Today I think I didn’t play the best tennis because I think we were both very excited, very nervous and there was a lot of tension, but in the important moments I played better.
It’s really nice to be here with my family, with the crowd, and it’s a great win for me and an important moment for my career,» Musetti said after beating Berrettini.
How Musetti defeated Berrettini
Both Musetti and Berrettini had break points in the first set, but neither converted.
Musetti saved one break point during the first set, but also missed four break points. As no breaks were seen, the first set went to a tie-break. The key point of the first set tie-break occurred midway through the tie-break, when Musetti won three straight points to take a 6-3 lead.
Berrettini saved the first two set points, but Musetti earned his third set point to win a tight opener. After winning the first set, Musetti achieved the first break of the match in the first game of the second set. In game seven, Musetti claimed the second break from him to open up a 5-2 lead. Up a set and two breaks, Musetti routinely served for the match in game eight.
