Berrettini is 28 and Musetti 23, so there may be a big brother-little brother relationship between these two Davis Cup teammates. Berrettini has reached greater heights in the past—Top 10 ranking, Wimbledon final—but Musetti has had more success in recent years. He’s currently ranked 16th, while Berrettini is 34th. They’ve played twice and each has won once. This will be their first meeting on clay.
That may help Musetti, whose heavy-spin baseline game is more naturally suited to the surface. Berrettini is the more muscular hitter, and he’ll need to move forward when he can. The questions may be these: Can Berrettini shorten the points without turning erratic? Will it matter that Musetti played a three-letter on Wednesday, while Berrettini is coming off a day of rest?
This time, neither may be able to rely on the fans to help him across the finish line, because they’ll be rooting for both guys. Winner: Musetti
