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Match Details
Fixture: Francisco Cerundolo vs Lorenzo Musetti
Date: July 23, 2022
Tournament: Hamburg European Open
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Hamburg, Germany
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €1,770,865
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Francisco Cerundolo vs Lorenzo Musetti preview
World No. 30 Francisco Cerundolo will square off against World No. 62 Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinals of the 2022 Hamburg European Open. He's been on the rise this season, with 33 wins from 50 matches across all levels. In addition to making the semifinals at the Miami Masters and the Rio Open, the 23-year-old captured titles at the Santa Cruz Challenger and most recently the Nordea Open.
The Argentinian was on a three-match losing streak before entering the claycourt event in Bastad. He first caught the eye with a huge win against Casper Ruud in the second round and continued his upsurge, defeating the likes of Aslan Karatsev, Pablo Carreno Busta and Sebastian Baez en route to his first ever ATP Tour title.
With brilliant performances against Daniel Altmaier, Andrey Rublev and a second win over Aslan Karatsev in two weeks, Cerundolo is on course for another fairytale run in Hamburg. He defeated the Sydney International winner 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4) in a thrilling three-set match to secure his place in the semifinals.
Lorenzo Musetti, on the other hand, has garnered 24 wins from 41 matches in 2022, with quarterfinal runs at the Maharashtra Open, the Grand Prix Hassan II and the Rotterdam Open. His best result came in Italy, when he emerged victorious at the Forli 6 Challenger.
The 20-year-old failed to win a single match on grass, making early exits from the Stuttgart Open, Queen's Club Championships and Wimbledon. His misery continued at the Nordea Open, putting up a glum performance against Laslo Djere in a tough first-round loss.
However, the Italian snapped his four-match losing streak in Hamburg with sanguine wins against Dusan Lajovic and Emil Ruusuvuri. He continued his upbeat run with an excellent display against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to reach the semifinals on the main tour for the first time this season. Musetti outfoxed the Spaniard 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets.
Francisco Cerundolo vs Lorenzo Musetti head-to-head
Francisco Cerundolo and Musetti have never faced each other on the ATP Tour before. Their head-to-head is locked at 0-0.
Francisco Cerundolo vs Lorenzo Musetti odds
All odds are sourced by BetMGM.
Francisco Cerundolo vs Lorenzo Musetti prediction
Fans can expect an enthralling encounter at the Am Rothenbaum Tennis Center on Saturday, as two players who excel on clay battle it out for a place in the finals. Cerundolo will be the favorite heading into this tie, considering his recent run of form and eight-match win streak.
The Argentine squandered a 6-3, 4-1 lead against Karatsev and looked gassed in the deciding set, but still managed to fight back from 3-5 down and settle the contest in the tiebreaker. He managed to pull off a sensational comeback to keep his hopes of a first ATP 500 title alive, giving him a much-needed psychological advantage coming into the contest.
Cerundolo's powerful inside-out forehand has troubled his opponents throughout the last two weeks and against Musetti's frail one-handed backhand as well, he'll look to make use of that shot as much as possible.
The Italian, on his part, paced the match remarkably well against Davidovich Fokina, winning 74 per cent of his first serve points and saving five break points to keep the lead. He showed his potent defensive skills against the hard-hitting Spaniard, forcing the errors out of him on numerous occasions.
However, Musetti will need to be more aggressive during rallies and add a bit of creativity to his game to keep pace with the Argentine in the semifinals. While he is equally talented and can dominate this matchup as he did in a Challenger event a couple of years ago, Cerundolo's red-hot streak at the moment makes it hard to look past him.
Admittedly, the Argentine looked a bit fatigued and Musetti could hurt him by dragging the match, but he should still be able to grind out the win eventually and stake his claim for the title.
Pick: Francisco Cerundolo to win in three sets.
