Former French Open winner Adriano Panatta believes that
despite recent success,
Lorenzo Musetti has to achieve much more to become comparable
to
Jannik Sinner. The 23-year-old is set to enter the top-10 in ATP rankings after
impressive performances in the recent past.
Musetti, most recently appeared at the
Madrid Open where his
journey ended after losing in the semifinal to Britain’s Jack Draper in
straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6. Before that, he finished as the runner-up
at the Monte-Carlo Masters to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz with a score of 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.
With his recent performances, he is set to become the new world number eight in
men’s tennis.
He will be the second Italian player in the top-10 after Sinner, who remains at the top of the ladder despite currently observing a three-month
ban following an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for failing
two dope tests in March last year. The 23-year-old, who is regarded as the best
player in the world in men’s tennis, will resume his tennis career at the Rome
Masters.
Former French Open winner Panatta has recently wrote a
column for Italian media outlet Corriere dello Sport where he praised Musetti
for his impressive run in the recent past. The 74-year-old was of the opinion
that even though Musetti has showcased his talent in the recent past, but he still
has a lot to achieve before being compared with his fellow countryman Sinner.
"For what he has shown so far, he will not be a new
Sinner,” he wrote. “He will catch up, but to make that breakthrough he will
have to snatch some victories. He has shots, he knows how to use them, he can
also think them, his tennis can be both intelligent and spectacular and is
always worth the price of the ticket. On a technical level, I am convinced that
he can improve his serve, but his one-handed backhand is a key piece."