Did Lorenzo Musetti Shine on His Return to Court Philippe-Chatrier?

Paris, May 25 (NationPress) Italy's Lorenzo Musetti celebrated his return to Court Philippe-Chatrier with a spectacular first-round victory over Yannick Hanfmann, while local talent Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard achieved a different kind of success against Zizou Bergs in another opening round match at the French Open on Sunday.

Musetti, seeded eighth and playing at this iconic venue for the first time since clinching the bronze at last year’s Paris Olympics, showcased a remarkable all-court game to defeat qualifier Hanfmann with scores of 7-5, 6-2, 6-0 at Roland Garros.

With this victory in the clay-court major, Musetti improved his record to 23-5 on this surface since July, including a remarkable run to his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Monte-Carlo last month.

Conversely, Perricard, a 21-year-old French player, thrived under the energy of an enthusiastic home crowd, securing a thrilling win of 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-4 against Bergs on Monday. After trailing 0/5 in the second-set tie-break, he rallied back to claim seven consecutive points, taking the lead under the roof of Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Other notable winners on Sunday included 12th seed Tommy Paul, who overcame lucky loser Elmer Moller with a score of 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in their first-ever meeting. Paul, now in the second round for the fifth time in his career, is set to face Marton Fucsovics, who defeated wild card Tristan Schoolkate 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

The spotlight remained on Musetti as he capitalized on his return to Paris.

Now at a career-high No. 7 in the ATP Rankings, Musetti has made significant strides during the European clay season. Earlier this month in Rome, he became the first Italian to reach the semifinals at all three Masters 1000 events on clay in a single season.

Having lost to Hanfmann in their previous ATP head-to-head clash in Madrid in 2023, Musetti was eager to demonstrate his recent form with a strong first-round showing, which he did after a challenging start. The 23-year-old easily countered Hanfmann’s powerful serves, highlighted by a stunning backhand return winner in the seventh game of the second set, where he won five consecutive points to break for a 5-2 lead.

Overall, Hanfmann secured just 49 percent (31/63) of points on his first serve, according to Infosys Stats, during the two-hour and seven-minute match. Musetti now stands at 9-4 at Roland Garros and will meet either local wild card Valentin Royer or lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan in the next round.

Facing a daunting 0-5 deficit, Perricard appeared to be in serious trouble and on the verge of losing in front of an eager home crowd. However, he fought back admirably to secure his position in the later stages of the match.

“At 0/5, I focused on regaining my footing step by step,” remarked Perricard. “I aimed to win point by point, and when I reached 5/5, 6/5, the crowd’s support was uplifting. It was a physically demanding match, and I’ll prepare diligently for Wednesday,” he stated on the official website.

With the match tied at one set apiece, Perricard was close to trailing 1-2. However, from 0/5 in the tie-break, the 6’8” Lyon native quickly delivered two aces to keep his hopes alive. Bergs showed signs of nerves, committing an unforced error before Perricard executed a stunning passing shot to regain the mini-break for 4/5.

Finally, the 31st-seeded Perricard managed two powerful serves, both followed by forehand winners, to earn a set point, which Bergs surrendered with a double fault. This marked the end of an exhilarating tie-break, drawing loud cheers from the crowd, heightened by the atmosphere under the closed roof.