MDP Live - Second seed Lorenzo Musetti finally bagged his first win of the 2022 season at the ATP level 250 tournament, Maharashtra Open, Pune.
For that, the Italian tennis player had to fight all out to knock out the Australian, Aleksandar Vukic 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.
“Aleksandar played well, he served really hard, and I tried to stay calm even in the second set, which I didn't win. The set didn't go the way I planned. But the third set was really a great set," said Musetti, who won the first meeting against world number 140 Vukic.
"I stayed really focused with a positive attitude and I won an impressive match against a tough player. I'm really happy to be here and through to the quarter-finals."
One of the competitors in the Next Gen ATP Finals, last season's Milan is now strolling into the quarter-finals for the first time since the Lyon Open last May. The 19-year-old is looking to win an ATP tournament title this week for the first time in his career.
World number 66 Musetti will face a challenging match in the quarter-finals of the Maharashtra Open when he takes on Poland's Kamil Majchrzak for the first time in his career.
World number 95 Majchrzak, who won all three of his country's second singles matches in the group stage of the ATP Cup, defeated France's Quentin Halys 6-3, 7-6.
In other action, the Portuguese national who has bagged three titles, Joao Sousa also had to give his best before picking up a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory over third seed and Musetti's compatriot, Gianluca Mager.
World number 137 Sousa will now battle German Daniel Altmaier for a place in the Maharashtra Open semifinals.
World number 85 Altmaier also had to fight extra hard before beating Moldovan national Radu Albot 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. With this victory, the fifth seed, Altmaier also strolled into the quarter-finals of the ATP tournament which was held on hard-courts.
While the first seed, Aslan Karatsev will start his campaign at the Maharashtra Open this season by competing against qualifier from Sweden, Elias Ymer.
