Muse Cruise: Musetti Sweeps Fritz for Maiden AO Quarterfinal

By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, January 26, 2026
Photo credit: Australian Open Facebook

In the penultimate game,  Lorenzo Musetti was sprinting with his back to the net when he flicked a wondrous tweener lob to prevail in an improbable double-tweener point.

Even when going the wrong way, Musetti continued his major march conjuring magical shotmaking on Rod Laver Arena.

Delivering one of his finest serving performances, Musetti swept Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 surging into his first career Australian Open quarterfinal.

Four months after Musetti reached the US Open quarterfinals, he’s played creative tennis advancing to his maiden major Melbourne quarterfinal—and completing a career Slam set of reaching quarterfinals at all four majors.

🚨 Double tweener and an OH MY MUSETTI alert deserves this angle 🤯😤@wwos • @espn • @tntsports • @wowowtennis • #AO26 pic.twitter.com/8LgAA4QinR

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2026

“Honestly, I feel very proud, honestly, because I know Taylor very well,” Musetti told Hall of Famer Jim Courier. “We played many, many matches, many battles and last time in Turin he was the winner. 

“So I came here with a different mentality. I think today the serve was working really well and I think I made one of my best performances with aces in my career so far so I’m really really really happy.”

The match was a rematch of the 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinals that saw Musetti fend off Fritz 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to advance to The Championships final four.

Facing 2025 ATP ace leader Fritz, Musetti served 68 percent, permitted only 9 points on first serve, out-aced the American 13 to 11 and faced only two break points in a two hour, three minute win that ended with the Italian pointing an index finger to his temple in a physical sign of the shrewd variation he deployed thwarting Fritz’s superior firepower.

The 2019 Australian Open boys’ champion Musetti has now contested quarterfinals or better in nine of his last 12 tournaments, including his run to the Hong Kong final earlier this month where he fell to Alexander Bublik, but cracked the ATP Top 5 for the first time as a result.

“When I finished late last season of courseI think the goal was to start well the year,” Musetti said. “For me, I never surpassed the first week here so making the finals in Hong Kong and winning the doubles in Hong Kong and now making the quarterfinals here is really a dream. So I want to thank my team for being every day there for me. Thanks.”

Musetti masterfully mixed spins, speeds and the height of his shots to deny the 2024 US Open finalist rhythm.

One of the sport’s most stylish players, Musetti applied his athleticism, variety and all-court acumen—he won 11 of 15 net points—to keep the ball out of the Fritz strike zone and leave the ninth seed lunging at times. 

The 28-year-old Fritz has been bothered by knee tendinitis going back to last season. It severely diminished his practice time during the pre-season and today Musetti sometimes dabbed drop shots and short slices to drag Fritz forward where he is not comfortable.

Winning a rousing forehand crosscourt exchange brought Musetti two more break points in the fifth game. Curling a crosscourt forehand, Musetti pushed Fritz well behind the baseline and slammed a bounce smash drawing first-break blood for 3-2.

Mixing in the low backhand slice to make the 6’4” American bend with some heavier, higher topspin forehands, Musetti backed up the break with a love hold for 4-2.

Looping a short-angled running forehand winner gave Musetti double break point for the third time in four Fritz serve games. Musetti drew the error to go up a double break at 5-2.

Musetti laced a clean forehand strike down the line sealing the opening set with his second straight love hold. Musetti reeled off 16 of the last 18 points in the set, frustrating Fritz with the low backhand slice that the American, with his extreme western grip, struggled to control. 

Midway through the second set, Musetti, who labored four hours, 27 minutes in a five-set win over Tomas Machac in the third round, looked to be feeling fatigued. Pressed to deuce, the Italian spun successive backhand strikes down the line that helped him hold to even the set after eight games.

Down Love-30 in the ensuing game, Fritz carved out a fine low volley winner then slammed an ace that helped him hold for 5-4.

Eighty minutes into the match, Fritz was flummoxed by chipped backhands and netted successive forehands. Running right, Musetti emerged from the shadows with a Federer-esque running forehand strike down the line for triple break point.

The flashy Italian went side to side spinning a topspin backhand that a stretched Fritz could not handle. Musetti celebrated the love break hurling an uppercut as he danced to his sideline seat with a 6- lead.

Musetti rocketed two aces in a row down the T—his seventh and eighth aces of the match—wrapping up the second set tearing through 12 straight points.

“Definitely, I improved a lot on the serve and try to be a little more aggressive with the forehand and try to use my variation to lead the game and try to open the court,” Musetti said. “I think before I was starting to play a little bit too far and I was a little bit passive on the rally. Now, I think I’m a little bit more energetic and aggressive. I’m really, really happy.”

Continuing to struggle countering the Italian’s slithering slice backhand, Fritz dropped serve to start the third set. Musetti confirmed the break holding at 15—he won eight of the first 10 points of the third set—snatching a 2-0 lead.

In a show of artistry and athleticism, Musetti pulled off that mind-blowing tweener lob in the penultimate game.

Serving for his maiden AO quarterfinal, Musetti drilled an ace then deftly crafted three droppers in a row to seal his sixth shutout game of the match and secure his quarterfinal spot.

The Olympic bronze medalist beat Fritz for the fourth time in seven meetings scoring his second career Top 10 win in a major.

This victory vaults Musetti into a quarterfinal showdown vs. Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic, who took a walkover into the quarterfinals when Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik withdrew.

Ten-time AO champion Djokovic has dominated the Italian winning nine of their 10 meetings, including a 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-4 victory in the 2024 Wimbledon semifinals.

Musetti said each match against Djokovic has been a “lesson” and he hopes to apply what he’s learned when they face off in the quarterfinals.

Lorenzo Musetti has plenty of learnings from his previous matches against @DjokerNole 🎓@wwos • @espn • @tntsports • @wowowtennis • #AO26 pic.twitter.com/n4D4gJU1nl

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2026

“Novak, we played many, many times and every time it’s a lesson first of all and it’s such an honor to share the court against him every time I leave the court with something,” Musetti said. “It’s something, of course, I really think is helping me to try to win against him. 

“Only once I had a chance to win against him. I know for sure I will be tired, but hopefully the rhythm I have with the great match of today will bring me luck for the next and I feel ready to try to push to my maximum.”