Lorenzo Musetti identifies ‘big difference’ between Madrid Open and other clay tournaments
World No 9 Lorenzo Musetti has pointed to the altitude as being the key difference between the Madrid Open and other clay court venues.
In just his second year of entering, Musetti is through to the round of 32 in Madrid having so far defeated Hubert Hurkacz and Tallon Griekspoor and the Italian believes the venue is particularly suited to him.
Asked why he has progressed fairly comfortably – he has yet to lose a set – Musetti pointed to the altitude of the Spanish venue as one of the key areas.
“The big difference this tournament has compared to others is the altitude, as here we play at 500 to 600 meters,” he said. “It’s not really the clay that changes.
“Honestly, the conditions suit my game very well. I like it when the ball takes the spin I want with my backhand or serve, and I feel the ball spins a lot here, and the slice works very well too.
“The most challenging part might be the forehand, which is difficult to control at times.”
On a personal level, Musetti is on the comeback trail after an injury against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open and said he needed more time than usual to get back to full fitness.
“Every injury is different,” the 24-year-old said. “It’s always difficult to stop competing and be out of the circuit for a while. You see others playing, and you want to be there, but you can’t do anything about it.
“Especially in my recovery, I needed time, to know when to choose the right moment. In my case, I tried to be ready for Miami, but I felt I wasn’t prepared yet.
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“So, I realised it was better to stop and come back a bit later. Your body tells you when to come back. I am surrounded by people who support me every day and are professionals in every aspect of the game.
“You have to trust your team and the people around you. They know the right timing for recovery.”
He also spoke of the opponents and said he was aware that his main rivals were “big servers.”
“If you have the mentality to win the tournament, you have to face anyone, no matter who is on the other side of the court.
“It’s obvious that each player has a game strategy that has to be consulted with the team, studied, and put into action.
“The fact that Hurkacz, Griekspoor, and Jiri Lehecka have been my rivals implies that they are all big servers, but at the same time, they are more specialists on faster courts, although this is a quite particular clay court.
“I know Lehecka will grant me little on his serve, but at the same time, he will allow more unforced errors compared to a South American player who seeks more rallies.”
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