Steely In Sofia: Huesler Downs Musetti For Final Spot

Marc-Andrea Huesler engineered a stunning comeback in a crucial tie-break for the second consecutive day on Saturday at the Sofia Open, where the unseeded Swiss upset fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(5), 7-5 to reach his maiden ATP Tour final at the ATP 250 indoor hard-court event.

The Swiss lefty reeled off six points in a row from 1/5 to claim the first-set tie-break against Musetti and produced plenty of high-powered serving and decisive volleying en route to a 96-minute semi-final victory. The 26-year-old had saved two match points in the second-set tie-break against Kamil Majchrzak in Friday's quarter-finals, and will now meet defending champion Jannik Sinner or fifth seed Holger Rune in Sunday’s championship match.

“For sure,” said Huesler, when asked if it was one of the biggest moments of his career. “I mean I’ve never been in the final before of an ATP event. I’m obviously a bit speechless. I can’t quite believe that I’m able to win today and make it to the finals, but I played a really great match today and I’m just really happy.”

Despite Huesler firing only 24 winners to Musetti’s 29 in the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting, the Swiss was clinical at key moments to notch his ninth tour-level win of the season.

“In those moments, it is not looking good,” said Huesler of his 1/5 deficit in the first-set tie-break. “You just try to play point-by-point. Everyone knows that in tennis it is never over until the last point is played. Obviously if he keeps his level high there, I’m probably going to lose that set, but then again you just try to stay in. I played a couple of good points at 5/5, went for my shots, and then it can go fast.

“On the whole I feel really good here. I feel like we were both serving really, really well, not many rallies, and then it’s hard once you get the rally, to actually be in it, but I’m very happy with the way I handled it today.”

The Swiss has met both his potential final opponents before. He fell to Sinner in straight sets at the 2020 edition of the Sofia event, while he defeated Rune on clay in Bastad in the pair’s only previous tour-level meeting in July.

“I know them both a little, I played against them before,” said Huesler, whose exploits this week in Sofia have lifted him 21 spots to No. 74 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. “For me it’s going to be a final, so it’s completely new anyway. I’m just going to focus on myself, but it’s going to be a good match for sure.”

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