Latest news with #Musetti
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Stroke of genius: Kunal Pradhan on tennis's Lorenzo Musetti and the beauty of the backhand
Lorenzo Musetti, 23, of Tuscany, Italy, lasted three-and-a-half sets against Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final of the French Open, before pulling up with cramps. Musetti plays against Carlos Alcaraz at this year's French Open. (Reuters) For about 120 of the 145 minutes they spent on court, Musetti gave the champion a run for his money. It was perhaps inevitable that the Italian would lose; he hadn't beaten the Spaniard in any of their last five meetings. Still, this was more than just another semi-final loss in the annual cycle of Grand Slam tournaments. For many, it was personal. Musetti, ranked No. 7, is the best single-handed backhand player in the world today. The leader of a dying breed of men and women who have been sidelined by sports science — the one-handed backhand return is deemed too weak, with the evolution of carbon-fibre racquets, nylon strings and vibration dampeners that offer greater power and control — but who still press on with it. Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas are the others in the top 30 who have a single-handed backhand. But only eight men in the top 100 employ the most elegant stroke in tennis . On the women's tour, there are none in the top 70, and only three in the top 100. These are the impractical, romantic madcaps who persevere no matter how many coaches and pundits tell them to switch. For them, there is pride in playing the shot. The fluid arc as the single-handed backhand falls into a slice or rises into a topspin for a flourishing follow-through is the kind of poetry in motion nothing else in tennis can ever be. These are professional players who want to win, but this is a stroke that defines their love of the game — a nod, if you will, to Don Budge, Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Justine Henin and Roger Federer — and without it, there would be no point at all. Poetry in motion: Stefanos Tsitsipas at the French Open in 2021. (Getty Images) Talking about a revolution The problem with the single-handed backhand, Navratilova said in 2016, is that it practically takes a genius to hit one. Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, used a single-handed backhand — not the most elegant avatar of the stroke, but an efficient mix of slices and top spins that set up one of the most aggressive serve-and-volley games in history. What Navratilova said nine years ago is particularly important since she had a view from across the net of what would turn out to be perhaps the most important innovation in sport since Dick Fosbury's flop in the 1968 Mexico Olympics changed the high-jump forever. Here's a short summary of what happened. In 1954, Chris Evert, Navratilova's great rival, was born into a tennis family in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her father, Jimmy Evert, was a professional coach. Chris was five when she first stepped on court, and when Jimmy realised she couldn't generate enough power on her backhand side, he encouraged her to try using both hands — a temporary retrieval plan for a young girl, borrowed from the Australians Vivian McGrath and John Bromwich, who used it in the 1930s. Chris found that the stroke worked perfectly. The repeat motion, with a use of the stronger right hand for support, was a bit like hitting a forehand from the other side. So what if it compromised on reach; she could compensate for that with greater fitness. And so what if it didn't look that great; it got the job done. When Evert started climbing the ranks — as a 14-year-old who made the semi-final of a senior event, a 15-year-old who defeated World No. 1 Margaret Court, a 16-year-old invited to the US Open, and a 19-year-old double Grand Slam champion — the world started to take note of this odd double-handed system that relied on supreme fitness and hanging back at the baseline to offer greater consistency and power. Over the next decade, while Evert and Navratilova were locked in a battle of philosophies in women's tennis, it helped the double-handed cause that Jimmy Connors burst on the men's side with a similar stroke that was encouraged by his mother Gloria Connors. And it helped that Bjorn Borg emerged with an even stranger double-handed style that had a straighter backswing, inspired by his early days as a hockey player. And so, the revolution — albeit not a pretty one — was being televised. A parting shot It took a couple of decades from the Evert-Connors era for the balance to shift. Great champions such as Sampras and Federer on the men's side and Graf and Henin on the women's side concealed the fact that change was truly upon us, until we woke up one morning in today's sports-tech-ruled world. A world in which Musetti, Dimitrov and Tsitsipas, with zero Grand Slam titles between them, are the last samurais fighting for a stroke in danger of being lost in time. A stroke that, as Navratilova said, now requires a genius to play it. But therein lies the hope that it's not all over; that someone will rise to not just celebrate the shot but also triumph with it. For what is sport without a dash of genius?
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to watch Lorenzo Musetti vs Carlos Alcaraz: Live stream French Open tennis 2025 online and on TV for free today, players on court
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Photo byWatch French Open 2025 live streams as defending champion Carlos Alcaraz takes on in-form eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the Roland Garros final. Advertisement Musetti has enjoyed a fine clay court season. A Monte Carlo Masters finalist, losing to Alcaraz, the Italian has found a consistency and calmness to his flowy, showy strokes. The 23-year-old has already knocked out Holger Rune and Frances Tiafoe, but was arguably lucky to still be in the tournament after kicking a ball that accidentally hit a line judge against the the American. According to the rules, he should have been defaulted, but received only a code violation. He has the game to do some damage. No player has won more tournaments in 2025 than Alcaraz, but the second-seeded Spaniard has been inconsistent in reaching the last four at Roland Garros. He dropped sets against unheralded Fabian Marozsan and Damir Dzumhur but in beating Tommy Paul for the loss of just five games in the last eight, the 22-year-old seemed to be back to his bludgeoning best. Alcaraz leads the head-to-head record 4-1, having won the past four meetings, and will start as favorite. Musetti is arguably lucky to be here after accidentally kicking a ball at a line judge in his quarter-final win over Frances Tiafoe, an offense that usually results in disqualification. He'll want to take advantage of his second chance against Alcaraz. The winner will face Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic in the final. Tune in to find out who it'll be. The players are making their way to Court Philippe Chatrier now, so get ready to enjoy a potential classic. Advertisement Below we have all the information on how to watch Lorenzo Musetti vs Carlos Alcaraz from anywhere in the world with details on worldwide TV channels, broadcasters and any free streams. Watch Musetti vs Alcaraz: A quick guide Key dates Match Date: June 3 Start time: 8.30am / 5.30am / 1.30pm BST / 10.30pm AEST Best free stream Watch Musetti vs Alcaraz for FREE Australian tennis fans are in luck as French Open action can be caught for FREE. The 9Now platform are showing the pick of each day's matches and Musetti vs Alcaraz is undoubtedly one of the highlights of Friday. Elsewhere, France TV (France) and ServusTV (Austria) are showing the rest of the tournament for free. Away from home? Geo-blocking may deny you from watching the action. Fortunately, you can use a VPN to keep up with the action. Advertisement Use a VPN to watch Musetti vs Alcaraz stream NordVPN – Save 70% and try risk-free There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate as the best VPN. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 7,000 servers, across 110+ countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend for the French Open. Get 70% off with this NordVPN dealView Deal How to watch Musetti vs Alcaraz live streams in the US In the USA Musetti vs Alcaraz is being shown via TNT and TruTV. You can access this with one of the best TV antennas, a cable TV package or a live TV streaming platform such as Sling TV. Sling TV includes TNT and TruTV with its Blue plan and you can get 50% off your first month. Advertisement If you want to catch every match then you can use the streaming service Max. To access this you will need either the standard or premium plans which cost $16.99 and $20.99 per month respectively. And of course, if you're traveling outside the US for the match, make sure to use NordVPN to keep up with the action. How to watch Musetti vs Alcaraz live streams in the UK TNT Sports will be showing the Musseti vs Alcaraz match as well as Djokovic vs Sinner. To access TNT Sports you can make use of Discovery Plus' Premium plan for £30.99/month. Alternatively, you can add TNT Sports through Sky, BT, EE or Virgin Media for £16.99/month to watch via your usual television provider. Advertisement If you're outside the UK but a TNT Sports subscriber, you can try using NordVPN to watch as if you were back at home. How to watch Musetti vs Alcaraz live streams in Australia As alluded to earlier, tennis fans Down Under are amongst the luckiest in the world as they will be able to watch the French Open for FREE via 9Now. We will keep you updated as to whether Musetti vs Alcaraz is selected. Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like Nord to watch all the action on 9Now as if you were back home. However, if you want to watch every match of the tournament in 4K then Stan Sport is where you want to go. They offer ad-free coverage and it will cost $36 for the Premium Plan and Sports add-on. How to watch Musetti vs Alcaraz live streams in Canada TSN has the rights to broadcast Musetti vs Alcaraz in Canada. Advertisement If you don't have cable, you can try the new TSN Plus streaming service. The streaming service grants access to everything TSN has to offer on an $8/month or $80/year subscription basis. Outside Oz right now? Use NordVPN to watch this match wherever you're. Musetti vs Alcaraz h2h Musetti and Alcaraz have faced six times in total with the Spaniard winning five of those contests. In fact, Musetti's singular win came the first time they played back in 2022 at the Hamburg Open Final. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Daily Tribune
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Alcaraz into French Open final
AFP | Paris Carlos Alcaraz took his Roland Garros title defence all the way as he booked his spot in the final after eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti retired injured in the fourth set of their semi-final yesterday. The Spaniard led 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 after two hours and 25 minutes of play under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier when Musetti quit with a thigh issue. Second seed Alcaraz will defend his crown on Sunday against either world number one Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who were meeting later yesterday. 'It's been three intense weeks and now I have one step to make,' he said. 'I'll give everything on Sunday, I've been playing great tennis this tournament.' He now leads 23-year-old Musetti 6-1 in their head-to-head series, winning all three of their clay-court battles this season after victories in the final at Monte Carlo and semi-finals of the Italian Open. The 22-year-old is now into his second French Open showpiece match, and fifth major final overall. Just as in the Monte Carlo final in April, it was the Tuscan who clinched the first set in the latest edition of the budding Alcaraz-Musetti rivalry. Both players battled through an even opener that offered up occasional sparks of brilliance, but every time a sniff of a break opportunity appeared the server upped his game to nullify it. Musetti eventually pounced at 5-4, drawing first blood in Alcaraz's fifth service game by concluding a brutal baseline rally with a hammered crosscourt forehand winner. He then secured three set points when Alcaraz dragged a shot long, before the Spaniard dumped a forehand into the tramlines to give Musetti the lead. The Italian began the second set with a trademark sweeping backhand down the line on the very first point as his confidence grew. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz roared back to break Musetti to love in the third game, sealing it with a perfectly-weighted backhand drop-shot. However, Musetti immediately riposted to level the set at 2-2. Alcaraz produced two break points five games later but Musetti held his nerve to wipe both out before celebrating the crucial hold with a double fist pump towards his box. The Monte Carlo and Rome champion did manage to get the break he needed on Musetti's next service game, but again the world number seven frustrated him by immediately hitting back to force a tie-break. Thigh problem But Alcaraz was not to be denied as he raced into a 3-0 lead, before a kindly net cord helped a drop-shot on its way to take him to 5-1, and Musetti then netted a forehand on the run to give the Spaniard the set at the third time of asking. Now firmly in the ascendancy, Alcaraz pressed his advantage by dominating his opponent's first two service games of the third set. Musetti received a massage on his left thigh during the changeover while trailing 0-5, before Alcaraz again broke him to take the set in 22 minutes for the loss of just five points. Musetti then signalled that he was unable to continue after the second game of the fourth set, shaking his opponent's hand before making his way off court. It was an unfortunate end to an otherwise excellent claycourt season for the Carrera-native as he reached at least the semi-finals of the three Masters-level tournaments, as well as Roland Garros.
Gulf Today
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Alcaraz enters French Open final after Musetti retires
Carlos Alcaraz kept his Roland Garros title defence on track as he booked his spot in the final after eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti retired injured in the fourth set of their semi-final on Friday. The Spaniard led 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 after two hours and 25 minutes of play under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier when Musetti quit with a thigh issue. Second seed Alcaraz will defend his crown on Sunday against either world number one Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. 'It's been three intense weeks and now I have one step to make,' he said. 'I'll give everything on Sunday, I've been playing great tennis this tournament.' He now leads 23-year-old Musetti 6-1 in their head-to-head series, winning all three of their clay-court battles this season after victories in the final at Monte Carlo and semi-finals of the Italian Open. The 22-year-old, who is attempting to become only the third man to retain his Roland Garros title this century after Rafa Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten, is now into his second French Open showpiece match, and fifth major final overall. Just as in the Monte Carlo final in April, it was the Tuscan who clinched the first set in the latest edition of the budding Alcaraz-Musetti rivalry. Both players battled through an even opener that offered up occasional sparks of brilliance, but every time a sniff of a break opportunity appeared the server upped his game to nullify it. Musetti eventually pounced at 5-4, drawing first blood in Alcaraz's fifth service game by concluding a brutal baseline rally with a hammered crosscourt forehand winner. He then secured three set points when Alcaraz dragged a shot long, before the Spaniard dumped a forehand into the tramlines to give Musetti the lead. The Italian began the second set with a trademark sweeping backhand down the line on the very first point as his confidence grew. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz roared back to break Musetti to love in the third game, sealing it with a perfectly-weighted backhand drop-shot. However, Musetti immediately riposted to level the set at 2-2. Alcaraz produced two break points five games later but Musetti held his nerve to wipe both out before celebrating the crucial hold with a double fist pump towards his box. The Monte Carlo and Rome champion did manage to get the break he needed on Musetti's next service game, but again the world number seven frustrated him by immediately hitting back to force a tie-break. But Alcaraz was not to be denied as he raced into a 3-0 lead, before a kindly net cord helped a drop-shot on its way to take him to 5-1, and Musetti then netted a forehand on the run to give the Spaniard the set at the third time of asking. Now firmly in the ascendancy, Alcaraz pressed his advantage by dominating his opponent's first two service games of the third set. Musetti received a massage on his left thigh during the change-over while trailing 0-5, before Alcaraz again broke him to take the set in 22 minutes for the loss of just five points. Musetti then signalled that he was unable to continue after the second game of the fourth set, shaking his opponent's hand before making his way off court. It was an unfortunate end to an otherwise excellent clay-court season for the Carrera-native as he reached at least the semi-finals of the three Masters-level tournaments, as well as Roland Garros. 'It's never great to go through or win a match when it's like this,' said Alcaraz. 'He's done an incredible clay season. I wish him all the best, a quick recovery and that he'll be back soon.' Musetti said he was 'really sad and disappointed' after a thigh injury put paid to his French Open semi-final with Alcaraz. 'I felt at the beginning of the third (set) when I was serving, I start to, start losing a little bit of strength on the left leg behind, and definitely was going worse and worse, so I decided to stop,' Musetti told his post-match press conference. 'I think was, you know, the right decision to make, even if it was not what I wanted. '(I'm) really honestly sad and disappointed on how it ended, but still a great match so far.' The abrupt ending was an unfortunate denouement to an intriguing battle between the rivals. Agence France-Presse
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
French Open 2025: Lorenzo Musetti limps off, Carlos Alcaraz in final
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, right, and Italy's Lorenzo Musetti greet each other. (AP Photo) The Times of India at Roland Garros: For an hour and 40 minutes, Lorenzo Musetti forced the extra ball on the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who was stretched, running and sliding, playing one more ball every time under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Spaniard, whose adventurous brand of tennis has made him a crowd favourite everywhere he plays, was locked out of the 49-minute opening set by the world No. 7, whose elegant, single-handed backhand is a 'wow' factor on a whole different level. Each time the explosive Alcaraz broke in the second set, the Italian bounced right back, until he couldn't. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The 23-year-old limped out of the men's singles semifinals of the French Open on Friday. The 22-year-old Spaniard, seeded second, led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 when the Italian pulled up short after two hours and 25 minutes of play, struggling with pain on his left leg. Musetti, who won a total of five points in the 23-minute third set, four of them on serve, was clearly struggling. At 0-5 in the third set, he called for the physio, and when he pulled off his headband after the second game of the fourth set, it was curtains. Musetti, who will undergo tests on Saturday, said, 'Really sad and disappointed at how it ended. At the beginning of the third set, when I was serving, I started to lose a little bit of strength on the left leg (behind), and it was getting worse and worse, so I decided to stop. 'In the beginning of the fourth set, I couldn't go for rallies, I could not move like I was doing earlier in the match,' he said. 'There was too much risk to go forward and to be able to show something even for the crowd.' Musetti enjoyed a brilliant run on clay this year, reaching the semi-finals of all Masters 1000 events on clay and Roland Garros in the same season. 'We both started really well, I had to play my best level of the tournament to stay there with him,' Musetti said. 'I felt I stepped forward on my level today, felt closer to his level. I maintained the high level that we showed for twohours. So really happy about that, it's a step forward, because the last two matches (against Alcaraz) were a little bit oneway. I felt that today I had my chances to even go two sets up, but of course Carlos, he's playing really well. He deserves to go to the final.' Virat Kohli's love for 'dhaba' food, priority for family & more | RCB bus driver shares stories Musetti, who won more points in the first set 33 to 28, slipped behind in the second 39 to 44. The Spaniard had 32 unforced errors and 34 winners, 20 from the forehand side. 'It's never great getting through or winning a match like this,' said Alcaraz. 'Lorenzo is a great player. He has had an incredible clay season. I always wish him all the best, a quick recovery, and hopefully we are going to enjoy his tennis pretty soon. 'The first two sets were really tough,' said Alcaraz. 'I had chances to break his serve, I couldn't make the most of them. When I won the second set, there was a little bit of relief, and then in the third set I knew what I had to do at the beginning: just push him to the limit and try to be aggressive, not let him dominate the game more. I was calmer.'
