Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud is definitely back in form and crushes Lorenzo Musetti in Rome – the Italian falls out of the ATP’s top 10
Casper Ruud delivered a dominant victory in straight sets over Lorenzo Musetti in Rome, pushing the Italian out of the ATP’s top 10.
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They first crossed paths at the Foro Italico when both were still ambitious talents with hopes of breaking through on the professional stage. Their first meeting came during the qualifying rounds for the 2019 ATP Masters 1000 in Rome, in the opening round, and the result was one-sided: 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and 17 minutes. At that time, the age difference of three years could still be felt both physically and mentally.
Seven years later, with both players now firmly established among the elite, history repeated itself in almost identical fashion. Casper Ruud delivered another dominant victory, 6-3, 6-1, and left Lorenzo Musetti without excuses this time. At the time, the Italian was the reigning junior world number one. Now he is preparing to fall completely out of the ATP’s top 10.
Musetti, a big crowd favorite in Rome, falls to 11th in the ATP rankings after failing to defend the semi-final points he took in 2025. Then he lost to the eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz – the biggest absence of the tournament this year.
The 24-year-old Italian, who is currently ranked number 10, ran into a major obstacle in the round of eight against Ruud – the Norwegian two-time Roland Garros finalist who is ranked number 25. The Norwegian will now face Russia’s Karen Khachanov, who beat Croatia’s Dino Prizmic 6–1, 7–6(2).
“Lore” has continued to struggle since he suffered a psoas injury during the Australian Open. He has not been able to regain the level that made him one of the most prominent clay players in 2025. His coaching team, led by long-time mentor Simone Tartarini along with newcomer José Perlas from Spain, still has a lot to work on.
The victory also came as a relief for Ruud, who himself has delivered below his usual level on clay this season. With Roland Garros just around the corner, margins for improvement are starting to shrink as the European clay swing nears its climax.
Ruud, who recently became a first-time father with his partner Camilla, is clearly enjoying himself at Foro Italico. There he has previously reached the semi-finals in 2020, 2022 and 2023, and now he will play in the quarter-finals in Rome for the fifth time in his career.
Since 2020, the Norwegian has led all active players in victories on clay with 138 victories. Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev complete the top three in that category with 108 wins each.
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