World No. 9 Lorenzo Musetti expressed his disappointment with his performance at the Shanghai Masters, where he was defeated by Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round with a score of 4/6, 2/6.
“I know I could have performed much better here. For me, it`s a missed opportunity—both in the context of the Race to the ATP Finals and the result itself. It will be hard to digest,” Musetti stated.
He further acknowledged that his opponent, Felix, played strongly, serving very aggressively and making very few errors from the baseline. “In the first set, I had a few chances to break back, but I couldn`t turn the match around or start the second set better. I played poorly and was very nervous throughout the entire match,” the tennis player added at a press conference.
Musetti also commented on the crowd`s reaction in Beijing, where he was booed in the second round. This occurred after his remarks during his opening match, where he was heard complaining, “These damn Chinese people are constantly coughing. They`re coughing, damn it. Every three minutes!”
“I am largely to blame for creating such a hostile atmosphere,” the Italian admitted. “My month in China was difficult, and I never felt comfortable after that situation. Ultimately, it created significant psychological pressure, even though I did have some fan support. But the internal tension distracted me during the matches.”
