Musetti honest about his lack of match play: "Practice sensations are always different"

Injured after his final in Monte-Carlo against Alcaraz, Musetti returned to competition in Madrid, where he defeated Etcheverry in the first round (7-6, 6-2).

Having been sidelined for two weeks, the Italian discussed the difficulty of not playing matches for an extended period. He shared his thoughts in an interview reported by the media outlet *Punto de Break*:

"I haven’t played an official match in two weeks. Sometimes, when you step onto the court to play a match, the sensations can be different from those in practice and preparation. Waiting this long to play an official match can be negative, but I’m only focusing on the positive side."

The 23-year-old player also addressed the new Masters 1000 schedule, which delays the top-ranked players' entry into the tournament:

"Actually, with this current format, the top players have to wait until Friday or even Saturday to make their debut in the competition, despite the fact that in most cases, they arrive at the venue at the start of the week."

He will face Tsitsipas for a spot in the round of 16. The Italian had previously defeated the Greek player in Monte-Carlo.