Time: 3:30 PM IST
Head-to-head: 0-3
Jannik Sinner experienced a possible knee injury towards the end of his first-round match against Diego Schwartzman, leading to a subpar performance in the round of 16 against Yoshihito Nishioka. During these matches, he faced a total of 17 breakpoints and was broken eight times, which raises concerns.
Despite struggling with a knee injury since the start of 2022, the Italian #1 has managed to maintain a consistently high level of play, securing a spot among the top 10 players in the ATP rankings. He is currently filled with confidence and momentum, making him a strong contender for the upcoming clay Masters titles in Madrid and Rome.
However, it would be unfortunate if his knee injury worsens and hinders his progress during this crucial part of the season. Sinner was a semifinalist in the 2021 ATP Barcelona event and has been in exceptional form lately, reaching at least the semifinals in his last five appearances on the main tour, including an impressive quarterfinal win over Stan Wawrinka at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam and a set lead over Daniil Medvedev in the championship match.
Lorenzo Musetti’s impressive resurgence in form continued with a remarkable come-from-behind win against the world #13, Cameron Norrie, in the round of 16 at the Barcelona Open. Despite having only won two matches in ATP events this year until a couple of weeks ago, Musetti has now secured two top-20 victories in less than two weeks, including a major upset over world #1 Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo.
Although the 2022 ATP Hamburg (500) champion experienced a disappointing quarterfinal loss to Jannik Sinner at the Monte Carlo Masters last week, where he was defeated in straight sets (2-6, 2-6), he will have the opportunity to face Sinner again at the same stage. Musetti will be looking to redeem himself with a better performance in their upcoming match.
Expect a tight match up between the two Italians, with Musetti taking advantage of any sloppy play from Sinner.
Prediction: Back Lorenzo Musetti to win a set