Australian Open 2026: Musetti Overpowers Fritz to Set Up Quarterfinal Against Djokovic

Australia, Jan 26 : Italian tennis star Lorenzo Musetti secured a commanding 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 victory over ninth seed Taylor Fritz in the fourth round of the Australian Open, advancing to his fourth career Grand Slam quarterfinal and first at Melbourne Park.

Musetti controlled the match from the outset, leveraging his variety and consistency to keep Fritz on the back foot. The 21 year old served efficiently, winning 84% of first-serve points and 74% of second serve points, while delivering 13 aces.

The Italian broke early to take the first set comfortably, and although the second set was more competitive, he capitalized on crucial break points to seal it 7-5. Musetti maintained his momentum in the third, closing out the match without significant resistance.

“I think today my serve was really working well. I made one of my best ace performances in my career, and I’m really happy. Making the final in Hong Kong, winning doubles there, and now reaching the quarters here  it’s really a dream,” Musetti said after the win.

With this triumph, Musetti will face 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Djokovic advanced after Czech Jakub Mensik withdrew due to an abdominal muscle injury.

“Novak and I have played many times, and every match is a lesson. It’s an honor to share the court with him,” Musetti added. Djokovic currently leads their head-to-head 9-1 and comes into the match on a six-match winning streak against Musetti.

The Serbian legend recently celebrated his 100th Australian Open win, became the first player to reach 400 Grand Slam victories, and surpassed Roger Federer for the most men’s quarterfinal appearances in tournament history.

Musetti now looks to challenge Djokovic and make a deeper run, aiming to translate his strong form into a career-best performance at Melbourne Park.