Musetti Edges Tiafoe in Straight Sets to Advance in Vienna

Lorenzo Musetti is through to the next round in Vienna after a hard-fought straight-sets win over Frances Tiafoe on Wednesday. The Italian took the first set in a tiebreak, 7-6 (6), before closing out the second 7-5 to complete a first-round victory at the Erste Bank Open. Tiafoe had his chances, saving five of six break points, but he could not find a way past Musetti in the key moments, and 33 unforced errors proved costly for the American. Musetti, who struck five aces, held his nerve in the tiebreak and then found the decisive break late in the second set to avoid a decider. It was a disappointing day for the American men in Vienna overall, with Learner Tien and Brandon Nakashima also losing their matches. Elsewhere on Wednesday, Daniil Medvedev, Adrian Mannarino and Nikoloz Basilashvili all advanced, while Alex de Minaur beat Tien in the round of 16. Musetti's win keeps his late-season campaign on track as the race for the season-ending finals continues, and he will now look to build on a composed performance against a dangerous opponent who pushed him hard in both sets.