A Step Still Too High: Mpetshi Perricard Falls Short but Puts Up a Fight Against Musetti

In a suspenseful showdown, Lorenzo Musetti overpowered Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to claim victory in three sets at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing.

This marked the fourth time Lorenzo Musetti and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard have faced off on the main tour. So far, the Italian has come out on top each time, including in the round of 16 at Wimbledon last year (4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2) and in the first round of this season’s US Open (6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4).

This time, a spot in the round of 16 of the ATP 500 Beijing tournament was at stake. In the first set, Musetti thought he had done the hard part after breaking serve and even serving for the set at 5-4. But Mpetshi Perricard broke back, and the two players settled the set in a tie-break.

In the end, Musetti, in control, took the lead on the scoreboard. But the Frenchman did not give up and had already caused problems for his opponent in the past. After a set with no breaks of serve, the French player pulled ahead in the tie-break and leveled the match at one set apiece.

Unfortunately for the world No. 36, he couldn’t maintain the momentum on his side, and very quickly, Musetti—who had just reached the final in Chengdu—regained his form to secure a decisive break.

Thus, the world No. 9 prevailed in three hard-fought sets (7-6, 6-7, 6-4 in 2 hours and 24 minutes) and advanced to the round of 16, where he will face another French player, Adrian Mannarino, who earlier in the day eliminated Alexander Bublik.