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Match details
Fixture: (1) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Lorenzo Musetti
Date: 19 March 2021
Tournament: Abierto Mexicano Telcel 2021
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Acapulco, Mexico
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $1,053,560
Match timing: Not before 10 pm local time, 9:30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Lorenzo Musetti preview
Playing in his first 500-level quarterfinal at the 2021 Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Lorenzo Musetti eked out a straight-sets win over Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday. It was a match that proved to be a great showcase of both players' well-rounded games.
Musetti is now set to take on the top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who took out Felix Auger-Aliassime in a tough three-setter himself.
Tsitsipas had entered the tournament on the back of a couple of underwhelming finishes over the last few weeks. However, he has done well to live up to his top billing in Acapulco so far.
The Greek was under pressure from some heavy hitting in both of his matches, but he managed to hold his own. Tsitsipas seemed to have hit his peak during the third set of the match against Auger-Aliassime, and would be feeling increasingly confident about his baseline game.
But in Musetti, Tsitsipas will be up against a more varied style of play. It will be interesting to see if the top seed approaches the match differently.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Lorenzo Musetti head-to-head
This semifinal match is set to be the first career meeting between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Lorenzo Musetti, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Lorenzo Musetti prediction
Stefanos Tsitsipas has struggled at the business end of his last two tournaments, and will be hopeful of a reversal in fortunes here. The Greek will once again rely on his big first serve, the one aspect of his game that hasn't faltered even in some of his recent losses.
That said, Lorenzo Musetti can bring a lot of variety to his matches. He possesses big groundstrokes off both wings, but has also proven to be a strong instinctive player.
The Italian has put his drop shots and front court skills to good use all week, keeping his opponents from settling into a rhythm.
Tsitsipas does tend to struggle against players who have the ability to vary the pace and rhythm of the rallies, and will need to be wary of the same on Friday. The 23-year-old will need to find his stride early and not let his opponent dictate, exactly the way he has in his last couple of matches.
Tsitsipas is the favorite on paper, and the pressure will be on him more than the 19-year-old. And in a close match like this, even a small slip-up could end up costing him the match.
Prediction: Lorenzo Musetti to win in three sets.
