AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2026

Lorenzo Musetti

Press Conference

L. MUSETTI/L. Sonego

6-3, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, Lorenzo. Not easy to play one of your best friends, but how happy are you with your performance and coming through in straight sets?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Yeah, well, it was not an easy match to prepare, to play, and to deal with, because Lorenzo, yeah, as you mentioned, is one of my best friends on tour. We recently had a title together in doubles, so we shared a lot of nice memories, so it's not easy to separate those things in the court.

But I'm really, really happy and proud of what I achieved today in straight sets, so I'm happy to be, again, in the third round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Congratulations on defending your rankings points, first of all.

LORENZO MUSETTI: Thanks.

Q. How do you compare that win to your first-round match, which I believe you said you weren't satisfied with?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Well, yeah, it was completely different match. The first round I think I struggled a bit a little bit with the tension, you know, to break a little bit the rhythm, and I didn't have the feelings that I had today.

Especially today with the forehand, I was really, really heavy, it was consistent until the end, and I was really, really aggressive. So that's what probably the biggest difference between those matches.

And even physically I felt more comfortable today than the first match.

Q. How comfortable was that as far as straight-set wins go? Because even by the end of the first set, Sonego was straining, was constantly grabbing for his towel, while you're looking a lot more at ease and a lot more comfortable. Was there a point in the match where you didn't feel in control? Perhaps in the third set?

LORENZO MUSETTI: I think I dropped a little bit the intensity in the beginning of the third set, and he took advantage of that. But I managed, you know, to deal with that, to come back immediately, and you know, to find again the right rhythm, especially, as I said before, with the forehand.

It was probably the key of turning, again, the match in my side.

Q. What do you find most difficult about Lorenzo's game?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Well, today he started to -- I think he prepared the match, you know, playing really, really aggressive. He was coming at the net many, many times, and he was volleying really, really well today. So it was not easy to pass him.

Even when I was trying to make him play difficult at the net, really low, he was always, you know, coming out with a really great volley and a great solution. So that was the most difficult part, you know, of playing against him.

Q. You're starting to feel a lot more comfortable on hard court now?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Yeah. Definitely yes, and especially I start to feel, you know, Australian Open, in terms of results, is the slam which I didn't go in the second week, compared to the others, which always ended up to go a little bit forward.

But now I feel that the condition are fitting a little bit more into my game, so I'm really happy for that and for the confidence that I'm feeling right now.