Less than three weeks earlier, Musetti halted the Greek’s Monte Carlo title defense on his way to a first career 1000-level final. The 23-year-old jumped to a career-high ranking of No. 11 following that run and can further his cause to go higher if he advances past sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur. As fate would have it, Musetti also toppled the Australian in a dramatic semifinal finish at the Monte Carlo Country Club.
De Minaur defeated 29th seed Denis Shapovalov, 6-3, 7-6 (3), winning 75 percent of his second-serve points.
Eleventh seed Tommy Paul, one of the players who can prevent Musetti from breaking into the Top 10 here, also came through in third-round action. The American fended off 24th-seeded Karen Khachanov, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Paul gets Jack Draper next, as the Indian Wells champion progressed when Matteo Berrettini retired down a set with an abdominal injury.
Frances Tiafoe, the No. 16 seed, gets Novak Djokovic’s conqueror in Matteo Arnaldi for a quarterfinal berth after dismissing Alexandre Muller, 6-3, 6-3.
