Wimbledon: Musetti KO’d by Basilashvili in 1st Round

Wimbledon: Last year’s semi-finalist and number seven seed Lorenzo Musetti, 23, lost in the first round of Wimbledon Tuesday to 33-year-old Georgian world number 136 Nikoloz Basilashvili in four sets, 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1. Musetti, who was favored to advance further in the tournament given his performance last year, faced an unexpected early exit.

According to Ansa News Agency, Musetti retired hurt in a recent French Open semi-final against world number two and eventual tournament winner Carlos Alcaraz of Spain. Musetti’s performance in last year’s Wimbledon had raised expectations, where he was beaten in the semi-finals by Novak Djokovic, the Serb great who became the eventual runner-up to Alcaraz for the second consecutive year.

The match against Basilashvili marked a significant upset, with the lower-ranked Georgian player overcoming Musetti in four sets. Basilashvili’s victory sets a new challenge for Musetti as he seeks to recover and prepare for upcoming tournaments.