Following the nationwide power cut that hit Spain on Monday, forcing the organizers to postpone action at the Caja Magica, the players returned to the court on Tuesday for a studded seventh day of competition at the Mutua Madrid Open.
Tenth seed Lorenzo Musetti made it through an edgy match against world No. 18 Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the round of 16 at the Masters 1000 on his debut in the Manolo Santana Stadium on Tuesday.
The Italian recorded a 7-5, 7-6(3) win over the 17th seed in under two hours, becoming the most reliable player of the two throughout a contest in which he handled tough, windy conditions better than his opponent.
Next, he will face sixth seed Alex de Minaur, who took down Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6(3) earlier in the day, becoming the first player this season to advance to the last 16 at all four Masters 1000s.
The Match as It Happened
The world No. 11 set off to a slow start, going from strength to strength to find his rhythm, staging an impressive comeback.
The two-time ATP titlist went from 2-5 down, saving a set point before flipping the script to take the first set 7-5 in 56 minutes.
A tight second set saw the 17th seed misfiring at crucial times - Tsitsipas committed 39 unforced errors overall, 23 alone with his forehand.
Eventually, Musetti got the better of the Greek player in the tiebreaker, pocketing the second consecutive win against Tsitsipas after their clash of the one-handed backhands in Monte-Carlo.
The 23-year-old wrapped up proceedings 7-6(3) in his fourth time asking, advancing to the final 16 in Madrid.
He hit 22 winners against the 2019 runner-up, 28; the Carrara native also committed 20 unforced errors and converted two of eight break-point opportunities.
The Mutua Madrid Open marks Musetti’s return to tour-level competition since he reached the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters championship match, falling to world number three Carlos Alcaraz.
In his post-match press conference, the Italian confirmed he would undergo tests to asses an injury sustained during the second set, skipping Barcelona as a result, and looking to return stronger at the Masters 1000 in Spain.
He opened his campaign at the tournament by beating Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry in straight sets on Saturday.
Elsewhere, 30th seed Matteo Berrettini retired after losing the opening set against Indian Wells champion Jack Draper due to injury.
Following Berrettini’s retirement, the Briton shared a few words about his on-court rival and off-court friend: “He said his abs were pulling. I’ve had ab injuries in the past. I believe he might have done it in his last match, so credit to him for coming out here and putting on a good first set.
“I saw his energy was a bit low. Matteo is a very positive player. It’s always tough to see a friend having an injury. I know it’s plagued him a lot, and myself as well. I know how it feels. I hope he’s able to come back for Rome. I wish him all the best. He’s a great guy.”
Draper will meet the 11th seed Tommy Paul, who ousted Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to progress into the fourth round for the first time at the venue, as well as the British player.
Assessing his performance thus far on the clay surface, the world No. 6 said: “I’m feeling good, honestly. I’m trying to learn which shots to play at the right time and all that kind of thing. I really want to be a really good clay-court player. Hopefully, I’ll get there. Maybe I won’t, but I’ll give it my best shot.”
Britain’s top racket leads Paul 3-2 in their series, but they have never played one another on clay before.
The in-form American player has been displaying high-quality tennis on the surface, notching his 17th win of the season over Khachanov on Tuesday.
