Lorenzo Musetti returned to winning ways by defeating Martin Landaluce in the first round of the Barcelona Open.
Musetti was knocked out of the Monte-Carlo Masters by Valentin Vacherot as his comeback from injury hit a stumbling block.
The Italian now has a major chance to win the Spanish title, with five of the nine seeds, including Carlos Alcaraz, already exiting the competition.
Musetti might miss the chance to play Alcaraz at the Barcelona Open now, but he still wants revenge on the world number two.
Lorenzo Musetti wants ‘revenge’ on Carlos Alcaraz
Musetti has come up short on several occasions against Alcaraz as he has tried to close the gap on him and Jannik Sinner.
Despite his recent record against the Spaniard, Musetti is confident he can still challenge the seven-time Grand Slam champion.
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Speaking at the Barcelona Open, Musetti said: “No, unbeatable I don’t think anyone is. They are surely the most difficult to beat and these last two years they are winning everything, but I think you can always have a small chance. I hope to have it.”
Musetti might want to defeat Alcaraz on the court, but he remains firm friends with the Spaniard away from the sport.
“We have a good relationship also off court, we’ve known each other since we were 12 or 13. I admire him a lot as a player and as a person. But yes, I want revenge. I hope this year, we’ll see when my moment comes.”
Musetti plays Corentin Moutet next at the Barcelona Open as he continues his quest for his first ATP title since 2022.
The Italian has been defeated in six straight finals since his last victory, including his most recent defeat at the Hong Kong Open.
Lorenzo Musetti’s head-to-head record against Carlos Alcaraz
Musetti’s hunt for ‘revenge’ on Alcaraz is understandable when you look at their recent head-to-head record.
The Italian has beaten Alcaraz just once in their eight matches and that was the first match they ever had in 2022.
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Musetti defeated Alcaraz to win the Hamburg Open on clay to claim the very first ATP title of his career, but the fortunes of both players has been very different since.
While Alcaraz has continued his dominance on the ATP Tour, Musetti has won just one more career title.
That came at the 2022 ATP Cup in Napoli, which saw Musetti defeat his compatriot Matteo Berrettini in straight sets.
Since Alcaraz and Musetti’s meeting in Hamburg in 2022, Alcaraz has won each of their last seven matches on the ATP Tour.
That includes two high-profile defeats at Roland Garros as well as a recent loss at Musetti’s very first ATP Finals.
Alcaraz has also knocked Musetti out of the Monte-Carlo Masters, the Italian Open, and the Miami Open.
