The China Mail - Musetti sees off Moutet to meet Fils in Barcelona Open quarters

The world number nine won through 6-3, 6-4 and will next face another French player Arthur Fils who powered past American Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-3.

Musetti is the highest remaining seed left in Barcelona after Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the tournament on Wednesday with a wrist injury.

Musetti impressed on clay last season, reaching at least the semi-finals in the ATP 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, as well as at the French Open.

But he has struggled for form and fitness this year and is still without an ATP title since 2022.

Musetti had lost in his opening matches at both Indian Wells and the Monte Carlo Masters, after being forced to retire injured from his Australian Open quarter-final against Novak Djokovic in January.

But after beating Martin Landaluce for his first win since Melbourne on Tuesday, he was in fine fettle against Moutet and much too strong for his 31st-ranked opponent.

After skipping the Monte Carlo Masters, 30th-ranked Fils, had needed three sets and nearly two and a half hours to overcome compatriot Terence Atmane in the round of 32 in Barcelona.

But the 21-year-old soon got into his stride against 33rd-ranked Nakashima in the last 16, breaking serve immediately and again at 4-2, before closing out the set with a love game 6-2.

The scenario seemed to repeat itself in the second set, with ninth seed Fils again securing a double break to lead 5-2.

But in the only slight hiccup of the match, the Frenchman lost his serve immediately afterwards.

It was a mere blip in the end, as he went on to close out the match on his opponent's serve, 6-3 after one hour 13 minutes.

Earlier Thursday, Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev saw off Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-3 to set up a quarter-final meeting with Tomas Machac, the beneficiary of Alcaraz's withdrawal.

Z.Huang--ThChM