Italian Open: Alcaraz Battles Through to Final

Carlos Alcaraz defeats Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets to reach the Italian Open final, setting up a potential showdown with Jannik Sinner.

Carlos Alcaraz secured a spot in the Italian Open final after defeating Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6. The four-time Grand Slam champion showed his skill and resilience, overcoming challenging windy conditions to win in just over two hours.

With this victory, Alcaraz sets up a potential showdown with Jannik Sinner in the final. This marks Alcaraz's fourth final of the season, positioning him well ahead of the upcoming French Open.

Alcaraz will now wait for the outcome of Jannik Sinner's match against Tommy Paul to confirm his final opponent. As the world number one, Sinner is heavily favored to advance after his impressive win over Casper Ruud on Thursday.

“I think both players are playing great. Everybody saw the game against Casper,” Alcaraz said, acknowledging Sinner's current form. Alcaraz may face a hostile crowd in the final, given Sinner's home advantage, but he's ready for the challenge.

“Let's see. If I'm going to play against Tommy Paul, I have to be ready for that. If I play against Jannik, I have to be ready for that battle, and obviously deal with the crowd,” Alcaraz said, highlighting his focus on the final.

Alcaraz beats Lorenzo Musetti 6-3 7-6

Carlos reaches the Rome final for the first time.

A lot of people were wondering what kind of shape he would be in coming back from injury.

✅8th Masters final
✅39th top 10 win
✅14-1 on clay in 2025

No one is wondering now.

🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/nBYGC07Kum

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 16, 2025

Musetti's loss to Alcaraz marked his fifth consecutive defeat to the Spaniard, following their encounter in the Monte Carlo final last month. Musetti's display was frustrating, and he couldn't capitalize on opportunities to challenge Alcaraz.

Musetti struggled with consistency, giving up three breaks of serve and accumulating 29 unforced errors in the first set. His frustration boiled over when he was warned by umpire Renaud Lichtenstein for slamming his racket into the clay after losing his serve.

The second set saw both players have chances to break. Alcaraz had a break point in the first game but fired long, allowing Musetti to stay in the set. However, Musetti immediately squandered a similar opportunity in the next game, hitting a similar error to gift Alcaraz the chance to level up.

Musetti mounted a comeback in the second set, breaking Alcaraz's serve and then holding his own with more disciplined tennis to take a 4-3 lead. He even earned applause from Alcaraz for a spectacular backhand volley. However, Alcaraz broke back in the eighth game, sparking Musetti's frustration.

Musetti's anger boiled over, and he was penalized with a point loss for hitting the ball into the stands. Alcaraz capitalized, serving out the game to love. The match ultimately came down to a tie-break, which Alcaraz won, dashing hopes of an all-Italian final.