VIENNA — The highly ranked Alexander Zverev, currently at No. 3, faced a tough defeat on Friday during the quarterfinals of the Erste Bank Open against Lorenzo Musetti. Zverev began the match strongly, winning the first set and even building a favorable lead in the second set tiebreaker at 3-0. However, he was unable to maintain that advantage and ultimately fell to Musetti with a final score of 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 after a grueling match that lasted two and a half hours.

Zverev, who secured the title in Vienna back in 2021, has also previously been eliminated by Musetti in the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics. Musetti expressed his excitement over the victory, calling it a significant moment in his career. “It’s definitely a match that means a lot to me,” the Italian remarked. “It’s a pretty big win, because Sascha really loves to play here, on this court, in these conditions.”

In the next round, the sixth-seeded Musetti is set to face seventh-seeded Jack Draper. Draper showcased his skills by defeating Tomas Machac from the Czech Republic, winning the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in just two hours. Meanwhile, in another match, Karen Khachanov triumphed over Italy’s Matteo Berrettini with a score of 6-1, 6-4, marking his first victory against Berrettini in five encounters. Khachanov is currently on a winning streak, having recently claimed the title in Almaty last weekend.