TennisSection previews the 2021 Next Gen ATP Finals as Lorenzo Musetti takes on Hugo Gaston in the Round Robin Stage on Wednesday, November 10th, 2021.
Will World No. 58 Lorenzo Musetti collect his first win on home soil? Will Hugo Gaston show resilience in this match after Tuesday’s disappointment? Both players lost on day one and will be keen to atone for those defeats and stay alive for semifinal qualification at the Next Gen ATP Finals.
Lorenzo Musetti is aiming to follow the footsteps of his countryman Jannik Sinner and become the second Italian to win the Next Gen ATP Finals. With the tournament being played in his home country, Musetti has a huge following. But sometimes expectations can weigh heavily in an effort to impress. The 19-year-old one-hander has been largely unproductive since reaching the French Open fourth round. He has managed four main draw wins from 12 tournaments and has failed to win back-to-back matches in that span. He was all set to change that narrative in Milan on Tuesday evening. Against Sebastian Baez, Musetti was facing a player without a notable result on hard courts all season. But the Argentine pounced in the face of Musetti’s struggles, manufacturing as many as 16 breakpoints and converting three. The Italian will need to put on a show when he takes on Hugo Gaston in his next match.
Hugo Gaston was also beaten in his first match at the Next Gen ATP Finals by Sebastian Korda. The French lefty has forged a reputation as a nuisance to play against on any court due to his mastery of the dropshot. And he utilized it to good effect to disrupt Korda’s rhythm. In almost every point, he looked to take the American out of his comfort zone. Gaston established a two-sets-to-love lead before Korda narrowed the lead by taking the third. And when Korda saved a match point in the fourth set, Gaston downed his tools and was profligate in the decider, losing 4-0.
Lorenzo Musetti and Hugo Gaston have not played each other in the main draw of an ATP match, but met in the qualifying round of the 2021 Paris Masters less than two weeks ago. Gaston won that match in three sets. I expect Musetti to run the Frenchman pretty close here and change that scoreline. He should be able to maximize on his ability due to the extra incentive of playing in front of his home crowd. He has an elegant style of play, but tends to concede a generous amount of unforced errors. While I don’t necessarily expect a classic, there should be plenty of drama in this match.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Lorenzo Musetti in 5 Sets.
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