Ten matches, just one win - but this Italian says he knows the secret to beating Djokovic

Every time Lorenzo Musetti has played Novak Djokovic, he says with a smile, it has been a lesson. A learning experience.

Or, put another slightly more pejorative, colloquial way on this Australia Day, he has been taught a lesson by the most prolific grand slam winner of men’s tennis.

Lorenzo Musetti defeats Taylor Fritz to advance to an Australian Open quarter-final.Credit: Eddie Jim

Ten times they have played; only once has Musetti won. It was three years ago on clay and not at a major. Still, a win is a win.

“Novak, we played many, many times and every time it’s a lesson, first of all,” Musetti said after advancing past American Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 on Monday to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

His opponent in that quarter-final?

Djokovic.

“Every time I leave the court with something and that’s something, of course, that I really think is helping me to try to win against him,” he added.

The takeaway that Musetti carries most keenly from his Djokovic tutorials is that he must try to win the match, not simply play the match.

Sounds obvious, asking a tennis player to try to win. But nothing is simple or obvious playing against Djokovic.

Against him, you can’t just play the match your way and expect to win. You have to play the point, play the vibe. That is the difference between the player with more slams than any other man and the one who has none. Between Djokovic, here ranked No.4, and Musetti, ranked No.5.

Fortunately, it is what a light-and-shade player such as Musetti has become very good at.

“Playing against Novak is always challenging, especially here, which he won many, many, many times. He knew pretty well the condition, all the things possible,” Musetti said.

“I think it will be a tough match, for sure. Of course, he’s feeling good. He never lost a set. He had the chance to rest for a few days. I think at this age, I think he was happy about it (his fourth round opponent withdrawing), of course, to try to be well-prepared and well-relaxed for this match.

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“Of course, we know each other pretty well because we played a lot. [I’ve] just won once against him. Hopefully, I’ll take my revenge because last time in Athens we were really, really close. I feel like I have another chance now.”

The hard part about playing Djokovic is playing Djokovic because you aren’t just playing a player, you are playing history. The second thing Musetti has learnt from those previous matches is that Djokovic finds ways to wriggle out of tight spots other players can’t find. It’s what separates him.

By his own admission, Musetti “wasn’t cynical, I wasn’t cold enough” to beat Djokovic in Athens. Presented with the same moments, he knows Djokovic would have gone for the kill.

“I think the mentality that I have to put on the court next match against ‘Nole’ is trying to go for winning the match and not playing the match.”

Musetti’s quarter-finals appearance will be his first at a hardcourt grand slam.

When he won Monday’s fourth round match, appropriately it was with a drop shot. Musetti squeezed a sliced ball over the net to that spot almost on the ballkid’s bent knee that teases opponents into thinking they can reach it. But they can’t. Fritz couldn’t.

It was the third point in a row that Musetti had played the same shot. Serving for the match, he hit an ace, drop shot, drop shot, drop shot. Game, set, match.

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