Musetti edges De Minaur to reach first Masters 1000 final

Lorenzo Musetti rallied to a comeback win over Alex de Minaur, booking a place in his maiden ATP 1000 final at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

The Italian responded well to losing the first set and held off De Minaur's resilient display to come out on top with a 1-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory in two hours and 38 minutes.

De Minaur started strong – fresh off the back of a resounding 6-0 6-0 win over Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-final, he raced through the first set with two three-game winning streaks on either side of dropping serve.

However, Musetti consistently found the corners of the court, forcing De Minaur from side to side. He fell behind again at 3-4 but forced a decider with a strong finish to the second set.

The pair traded blows again in the third, with Musetti having the opportunity to serve out the game at 5-4, but De Minaur took it to a tie-break, when the 23-year-old found his edge.

"The confidence is something that you have to experience to believe," Musetti said in his on-court interview.

"It is something really remarkable, sharing these beautiful moments with my friends and family. It is my home, and I feel at home."

He will face Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's showpiece as he aims to win his first Tour-level title since 2022.

Musetti on a missionWhat a moment for @Lorenzo1Musetti to reach a maiden Masters 1000 final!@ROLEXMCMASTERS | #RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/QfAvvXpT8D
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 12, 2025

Data Debrief: Musetti finds his edge

Musetti defeated three-time Monte-Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last eight to reach his first Masters 1000 semi-final.

Now he has the chance to go all the way, after becoming just the third Italian to reach the Monte-Carlo final in the Open Era.

The world number 16 has proved his clay-court pedigree in the past, winning the Olympic bronze in Paris last year, while winning a title in Hamburg in 2022.

Musetti boasted a better first-serve percentage (67% to the Australian's 52%), but De Minaur converted five of 12 break points he forced, while the victor managed four of nine. There was not a lot in it, but Musetti got the job done.