Glimpse into a golden future
When Djokovic led 3-1 in the first set, it appeared the 2016 champion was going to grasp the initiative. Musetti had other ideas.
The 19-year-old trusted his game against one of the greatest of all-time and played with complete freedom.
Musetti, ranked at No.284 this time last year, connected with one of the hardest shots in tennis, backpedaling to clip a backhand smash cross-court to help erase the Serbian’s early advantage.
It was a warning sign for Djokovic.
Musetti didn’t look rushed at any time in the opening two sets, pinging a hot-shot reel of down-the-line backhands and prevailing in a collection of cat-and-mouse rallies.
Remember this was the Italian’s first ever major main draw. He’ll only get stronger and more robust. Put simply, we are in for a treat to see Musetti, with his Samurai hairstyle, wield his racquet in many Roland-Garros tournaments to come.