Ruud crushes Musetti to reach Italian Open quarters, Sinner awaits derby

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Casper Ruud reached the Italian Open quarterfinals with a decisive win over Lorenzo Musetti, who struggled with a thigh injury and may miss the upcoming French Open. Ruud will face Karen Khachanov next, while Jannik Sinner is favored to continue his strong run amid the absence of top contenders Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.

Casper Ruud advanced to the quarterfinals of the Italian Open on Tuesday with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory over Italian eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti. The Norwegian clay court specialist maintained his unbeaten streak in Rome, winning without dropping a set, and looked composed amid windy conditions on the centre court. In contrast, Musetti appeared hampered by physical issues, which affected his performance during the match.

Musetti, who had visibly struggled earlier in the tournament, was seen in tears following his third-round win over Francisco Cerundolo. During the second set against Ruud, the Italian took a medical time-out to address a left thigh problem. Musetti later indicated uncertainty about his participation in the upcoming French Open, stating that he planned to undertake further tests in the coming days to assess the severity of his injury. The setback means Musetti will drop out of the top 10 in the men’s world rankings ahead of Paris.

Ruud, positioned in the opposite half of the draw from fellow Italian Jannik Sinner, will face 13th-seeded Karen Khachanov in the last eight. Khachanov secured his quarterfinal berth by defeating Croatian qualifier Nino Prizmic 6-1, 7-6 (7-2). Prizmic had gained attention earlier in the tournament by eliminating Novak Djokovic in the second round as a qualifier.

Jannik Sinner is preparing for a high-profile national showdown against qualifier Andrea Pellegrino, a player ranked 155th in the world, who is making his debut in the main draw of an ATP Masters 1000 event. Sinner aims to continue his strong form, seeking a sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title and the distinction of becoming the first Italian champion at the Italian Open in 50 years, since Adriano Panatta. With top contenders Carlos Alcaraz sidelined and Djokovic eliminated earlier than expected, Sinner enters the tournament as a strong favorite as he builds momentum toward the French Open.

On the women’s side, veteran Sorana Cirstea progressed to the semifinals after a 6-1, 7-6 (7-0) victory over Jelena Ostapenko. Cirstea, who is set to retire at the end of the season, will next face either Coco Gauff or Mirra Andreeva for a spot in Saturday’s final. Notably, Cirstea had earlier ousted world number one Aryna Sabalenka from the tournament.