Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Roland Garros match.
Lorenzo Musetti has reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros for the first time, where he is set to face world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard is aiming to return to the final in Paris and defend his title. Based on form and rankings, Lorenzo Musetti has already outperformed expectations, and progressing beyond this stage will be a significant challenge.
Lorenzo Musetti
Lorenzo Musetti has claimed victory in 19 of his 22 matches on clay this season and is competing in his third consecutive semi-final. However, at Roland Garros, he has dropped a set in each of his last three matches. In his most recent outing against Frances Tiafoe, Musetti recorded three double faults and 31 unforced errors. He started the match strongly but nearly conceded two sets in a row before mounting a comeback. In head-to-head encounters with Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti trails 1-6, though he has only once failed to stay within the (+8.5) game spread.
Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz has been in outstanding form. He has suffered just one defeat on clay in 21 matches this season — that loss came against Holger Rune in the final in Barcelona. At Roland Garros, he has dispatched his opponents with relative ease, but in three of his five matches he has not won by a margin of eight games or more. Their most recent clay-court meeting came in Monte Carlo this past April, where Lorenzo Musetti took a set before ultimately losing by exactly eight games.
Lorenzo Musetti vs Carlos Alcaraz Prediction
Carlos Alcaraz is unquestionably among the favourites to lift the trophy, but Lorenzo Musetti cannot be written off. In three of their seven previous encounters, the Italian has managed to take a set off Carlos Alcaraz, and he has rarely lost by a wide margin. At this stage of the tournament, a one-sided contest appears unlikely — Lorenzo Musetti will battle hard for a place in the final.
