Taylor Fritz had a poor personal history against Lorenzo Musetti, surprisingly enough. The American has consistently maintained a higher ranking than the Italian and was the more accomplished player, except when they played each other.
Musetti led the head-to-head 5-3, but had won five of the last six meetings, including two in 2026. For whatever reason, Fritz struggled against the Italian. He would have to get through Musetti in the Stockholm Open semifinals to be in position to win his first title at the tournament, though.
Fritz tried to end any real drama in the match early. He got a break of Musetti in the third game of the opening set, and the American continued to hold with ease. The way the match was unfolding, one might never know that Fritz had struggled so mightily to defeat the Italian.
Taylor Fritz defeats Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinals of the Stockholm Open
Fritz didn't face a break point in the first set, won 76 percent of the first serves he landed and, more importantly, 70 percent of the second serves. He was in full control and cruised to a 6-4 opening set win.
The second set got away from Musetti just as quickly. He was broken in the third game, but was overall playing more poorly. He was landing fewer of his first serves and getting behind on his service games. After Fritz held to get to 3-1, Musetti was broken again, and the match was basically done.
Getting one break off Fritz might be doable, but getting two in the same set appeared impossible. Fritz was simply playing too well, and he appeared too driven to reach the final of the Stockholm Open.
2026 has been a fairly rough year for Fritz. He had his long-term off-court relationship end, and he struggled on the court. He didn't finish as the top-ranked American (Ben Shelton did), and he missed reaching the ATP Finals for only the second time in five years.
Finishing the year strong would help his confidence in 2027, though. He was able to finish off Lorenzo Musetti in the second set, 6-2, and he will next take on Thiago Augustin Tirante in the final of the tournament on Saturday.
To win the Swedish tournament, Fritz would need to dispatch a player he failed to beat in their only previous match. At the Canadian Masters this year, the Argentinian defeated the American in straight sets.
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