Although he is a top-quality player clearly moving in the right direction, whether Lorenzo Musetti can challenge for Grand Slam titles remains a question mark.
Patrick Mouratoglou believes that, while his run at Monte-Carlo displayed how good Musetti can be, it also highlighted the Italian’s need to be more offensive throughout the match, not just in the moments when he has no other option.
“Lorenzo Musetti is great player,” says the Frenchman. “He has everything in his game… But he is too passive. That’s why his matches during Monte-Carlo were up and down all the time, because hesitating between attack and defence.”
He goes on to explain that Musetti’s Monte-Carlo run could act as an excellent lesson for the Italian, if he uses it to increase his will to play offensive more of the time.
KEY MOMENTS
0:00 – Whether or not Musetti can win Grand Slams is only up to him
0:10 – Musetti has everything in his game
0:30 – Musetti’s likes clay because he generally prefers to play passive
0:40 – His matches in Monte-Carlo were up and down because he was hesitating between passive and aggressive play
1:05 – Monte-Carlo can be a good lesson for Musetti
1:20 – He plays defensive against the most attacking players
1:40 – Not a big difference between Alcaraz and Musetti – just the mindset
1:50 – Zverev a counter-puncher, but differs in his approach from Musetti
2:30 – Musetti knows how to be offensive, but it is about changing his approach
3:10 – In Monte-Carlo, he played offensive around %40 of the time. He needs to do it %100 of the time
Patrick Mouratoglou believes that, while his run at Monte-Carlo displayed how good Musetti can be, it also highlighted the Italian’s need to be more offensive throughout the match, not just in the moments when he has no other option.
“Lorenzo Musetti is great player,” says the Frenchman. “He has everything in his game… But he is too passive. That’s why his matches during Monte-Carlo were up and down all the time, because hesitating between attack and defence.”
He goes on to explain that Musetti’s Monte-Carlo run could act as an excellent lesson for the Italian, if he uses it to increase his will to play offensive more of the time.
KEY MOMENTS
0:00 – Whether or not Musetti can win Grand Slams is only up to him
0:10 – Musetti has everything in his game
0:30 – Musetti’s likes clay because he generally prefers to play passive
0:40 – His matches in Monte-Carlo were up and down because he was hesitating between passive and aggressive play
1:05 – Monte-Carlo can be a good lesson for Musetti
1:20 – He plays defensive against the most attacking players
1:40 – Not a big difference between Alcaraz and Musetti – just the mindset
1:50 – Zverev a counter-puncher, but differs in his approach from Musetti
2:30 – Musetti knows how to be offensive, but it is about changing his approach
3:10 – In Monte-Carlo, he played offensive around %40 of the time. He needs to do it %100 of the time
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Is Lorenzo Muzzetti close or far to playing the Grand Sam Finals?
00:04It only depends on him. Only him.
00:10Lorenzo Muzzetti is a great player.
00:13He has everything in his game.
00:14The movement, such a good mover.
00:16The forehand, the backhand, the touch, he can volley.
00:20He's a complete player with a huge ball quality.
00:23The ball is really super lively when he hits the ball.
00:26He can accelerate anytime.
00:27He can accelerate with his backhand,
00:28he can accelerate with his forehand.
00:30And I think that's why he likes Klay the most,
00:33because he is globally too passive.
00:36And that's why his matches during this Monte Carlo were up and down all the time,
00:40because he was constantly hesitating between
00:43I'm going to go, I'm going to take my chance,
00:45I have to dictate,
00:46or I hope the guy is going to miss, I'm going to slice,
00:49I'm going to play up, I'm going to defend,
00:52and it's going to work.
00:53He's lost a lot of first sets during this Open and badly.
00:56And then he was sometimes even a breakdown.
00:59And then suddenly he starts to play.
01:01And he starts to be offensive, he starts to dictate.
01:04And then the match completely switches.
01:06I hope it's a good lesson for him, this tournament,
01:08because he's such a good player.
01:09If he manages more his will, his determination to be the one dictating,
01:15and being defensive only when he has no other option,
01:19his level will go crazy up.
01:21And it was interesting because it was, in a way,
01:24a player that is more defensive against a player who is always offensive.
01:28Alcaraz against Muzetti.
01:30And no surprise, that's the one that is offensive who won.
01:33And in a way, the qualities, they're not so far away.
01:36Both can do anything, both have a huge acceleration, forehand, backhand.
01:41But one is crazy offensive mentally,
01:43the other one is still looking for it in a constant manner.
01:49The difference between Sasha and Lorenzo is that Zverev have gone extremely high,
01:55playing a type of game that is counter-punching,
01:59staying quite far behind the baseline,
02:01but not being defensive, just hitting the ball, but not creating.
02:04Mostly being everywhere and giving a good quality depth and everything all the time.
02:10And then, when he was supposed to reach the last steps,
02:13he found out that he couldn't because something big was missing that he never worked on.
02:17So Sasha had to learn to even make one step forward,
02:21or two if the ball is shorter, and take the ball early,
02:24going close to the bounce.
02:25He never learned before because it was working that way.
02:29Lorenzo knows how to do it.
02:30So it's not the same at all.
02:32It just, for the moment, doesn't always, and most of the time,
02:37relies too much on hoping the guy is going to miss.
02:40Same as what people were saying about Richard Gasquet or Gaël Monfils for years,
02:45that they were moving, slicing, hoping the guy is going to miss the ball.
02:50Of course, the quality of the movement of Gaël is so incredible,
02:54he can bring so many balls back.
02:55So it works until a certain level, when you play the best guys,
02:59it's not going to work.
03:01Lorenzo does it sometimes, and, you know, sometimes some long parts in matches.
03:07He's just, he has to fight this every single match for the moment.
03:11And in Monte Carlo, he's done it, let's say, 40% of the time, and 60% of the time.
03:16And if he wants to be number one, top of the game, he'll have to do it 100% of the time.
03:21It goes for six hours in the game.
03:22That should be about 4.9% of the time.
03:24And since then, he's done with the game.
03:27I'm the one who's going to miss the game.
03:29If you want to miss the game, this is the team's game.
03:31I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready.
03:32But, for the reason, this is to be number one's game.
03:34I'm ready.
03:35I'm ready.
03:36You're ready.
03:37I'm ready.
03:38I'm ready.
03:39So, I'm ready.
03:41I'm ready.
03:42You're ready.
03:44I'm ready.
03:44It's a big prize.