Want to win back the hearts of Chinese fans? Musetti: I have no complaints about the conditions in Shanghai

Following Djokovic and Fritz’s criticism of the tough conditions at the Shanghai Masters, Musetti expressed his own opinion, which contrasted with theirs. He started his tournament journey by beating Komeissana 6-4, 6-0 in the second round.

Next, he overcame his fellow Italian Darderi 7-5, 7-6. In this match, both players battled for 2 hours and 8 minutes under humid and sweltering conditions. In a post-match on-court interview, Musetti reflected on the conditions, emphasizing how the humidity affected his shots, stating he had never experienced such moist weather before, which made the ball heavier.

He said, “The evening conditions slowed down the ball a lot, making it hard to win points; I felt I had to raise my level during the match, which is what I’m most proud of tonight. This year, I’ve played better on this surface but never in such humid conditions, and the ball got heavier. I’ve never changed my clothes so many times in my life! After about 40 minutes, it felt like I had just taken a shower.”

However, contradicting Djokovic and Fritz’s opinions, Musetti said he enjoys the slow playing conditions because he believes winning in such an environment requires great strength. He stated, “But I can’t complain about these slow conditions; I actually like them. I believe to win under these conditions, you have to be a true fighter and be physically very well prepared.”

Before Musetti, four-time champion Djokovic had also criticized the conditions, calling them “brutal”; Fritz also pointed out that the humidity slowed down the court.

Previously, Musetti issued an apology following a controversial incident at the China Open. During his round of 32 match against French player Pericard, Musetti reacted to loud coughing from the crowd, criticizing it by saying, “They’re always coughing, these damn Chinese people. Always coughing, seriously, every three seconds.”

However, these remarks were not accepted by fans and instead sparked anger. Subsequently, the Italian player apologized, stating, “My words were only directed at certain individuals who kept coughing and disturbing the match; they were absolutely not aimed at the Chinese people. It happened during the tense moment of the second tiebreak, but that’s no excuse. I realize my way of expressing myself was wrong and inappropriate, and it hurt the feelings of many Chinese fans. I deeply regret it and feel very sorry.”

Next, Musetti will face Aliassime in the round of 16 at the Shanghai Masters. Musetti holds a 4-3 head-to-head record against Aliassime, including a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory last March in Miami.

Musetti said, “The main goal is Turin (ATP Finals). Now I have a great chance to stop Felix’s winning streak in the next round because he is currently the closest to me in the rankings. So, it will be a good challenge to prepare for qualifying for the Turin Finals. Of course, the most important thing is to try to reach the quarterfinals and go as far as possible in this tournament.”(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)