Musetti vs Van Assche: Paris Masters Battle You Can’t Miss

Lorenzo Musetti vs Luca Van Assche was supposed to be a formality.

Musetti had just beaten world No. 1 Alexander Zverev in straight sets at the Paris Masters.

He was riding momentum, confidence, and a wave of attention after comparing that win to Novak Djokovic’s famous upset at the same tournament.

Van Assche was the unseeded Frenchman waiting in the Round of 16.

On paper, this was Musetti’s match to lose.

He lost it.

Van Assche outlasted Musetti 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 on Court Central to reach the Round of 16 at the ATP Paris Masters.

The match lasted 2 hours and 39 minutes.

There were no tiebreaks.

The margins were razor-thin.

Van Assche won 94 total points to Musetti’s 90.

The Frenchman saved 5 of 8 break points overall.

Musetti fired more aces and landed a higher first-serve percentage.

But Van Assche’s efficiency on first-serve points and his timing on holds swung the match his way.

The first set told the story of the match.

Van Assche took control late, converting pressure into a 7-5 lead.

His first-serve points in that set were dominant: he won 13 of 16 for 81%, compared with Musetti’s 11 of 19 for 58%.

On return, Van Assche gathered 14 receiver points to Musetti’s 7.

That edge generated two breaks.

Musetti forced five break points in the first set and converted one.

But Van Assche’s combination of first-serve dominance and firmer returning on big points was the separator.

The Frenchman’s max run of seven points in a row underlined the momentum swing that closed the set.

The second set flipped entirely.

Musetti tightened his service patterns and returned with bite.

He landed 18 of 23 first serves for 78% and won 83% of those points.

He denied every break chance on his serve and never faced a breakpoint in the set.

On return, he gathered 18 receiver points to Van Assche’s 11.

That forced two breaks and gave Musetti a 6-3 win to force a decider.

The third set was a war of attrition.

Neither player gave an inch.

Van Assche found just enough clutch returning and held his nerve when it mattered most.

The Frenchman closed it out 6-4, sending the Italian home.

The loss ends Musetti’s run in Paris after a stunning victory over Zverev.

For Zverev, the context of the tournament is even more painful.

Zverev snatched the world No. 1 ranking from Jannik Sinner after defeating Tallon Griekspoor in the Vienna Open second round last week.

Since then, the German has suffered defeats to Alex de Minaur and Lorenzo Musetti.

With his loss to Musetti in the Paris Masters second round, Zverev’s journey at Masters 1000 events for the 2026 season came to a close.

Zverev has failed to win a Masters 1000 title this year.

According to statisticians OptaAce, since 1990, Zverev has become the fourth year-end world No. 1 not to have won an ATP Masters 1000 event that same season.

Stefan Edberg (1991), Pete Sampras (1996, 1998), and Lleyton Hewitt (2001) also achieved this adverse statistic during their respective playing careers.

Zverev will look to put his Masters woes behind him when he competes in the ATP Finals later this month.

He is a two-time champion at the event, winning the title in 2018 and 2021.