Barcelona Open 2026: Musetti enters quarterfinals after beating Moutet Italian second seed Lorenzo Musetti eased into the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open on Thursday with a straight-sets victory over Frenchman Corentin Moutet.
The world number nine will face either Arthur Fils or Brandon Nakashima after a 6-3, 6-4 win.
He is the highest remaining seed left in Barcelona after Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the tournament on Wednesday with a wrist injury.
Musetti impressed on clay last season, reaching at least the semifinals in the ATP 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, as well as at the French Open.
ALSO READ | Zverev cruises into Munich quarters
But he has struggled for form and fitness this year and is still without an ATP title since 2022.
Musetti had lost in his opening matches at both Indian Wells and the Monte Carlo Masters, after being forced to retire injured from his Australian Open quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic in January.
But after beating Martin Landaluce for his first win since Melbourne on Tuesday, he was in fine fettle against Moutet and much too strong for his 31st-ranked opponent.
Earlier on Thursday, Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev saw off Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-3 to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Tomas Machac, the beneficiary of Alcaraz’s withdrawal.
Published on Apr 16, 2026
#Barcelona #Open #Musetti #enters #quarterfinals #beating #Moutet
Italian second seed Lorenzo Musetti eased into the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open on Thursday with a straight-sets victory over Frenchman Corentin Moutet.
The world number nine will face either Arthur Fils or Brandon Nakashima after a 6-3, 6-4 win.
He is the highest remaining seed left in Barcelona after Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the tournament on Wednesday with a wrist injury.
Musetti impressed on clay last season, reaching at least the semifinals in the ATP 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, as well as at the French Open.
ALSO READ | Zverev cruises into Munich quarters
But he has struggled for form and fitness this year and is still without an ATP title since 2022.
Musetti had lost in his opening matches at both Indian Wells and the Monte Carlo Masters, after being forced to retire injured from his Australian Open quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic in January.
But after beating Martin Landaluce for his first win since Melbourne on Tuesday, he was in fine fettle against Moutet and much too strong for his 31st-ranked opponent.
Earlier on Thursday, Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev saw off Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-3 to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Tomas Machac, the beneficiary of Alcaraz’s withdrawal.
Published on Apr 16, 2026
![Ayush Shetty: Asian Championship run gives me confidence that I can maintain level for longer period Last month, when India’s squad for the Thomas & Uber Cup was announced, Ayush Shetty was a young-and-upcoming 20-year-old who was getting his maiden call up.When India takes to the court in Denmark from April 24, he will be its most in-form player, having made a stirring run to the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) final in China last week.He has broken into the world’s top-20 and there will be expectations galore. But he is confidence personified, despite 2026 being only his second full year on the senior circuit.“My expectations [from myself] are always high, and I take people’s expectations as a challenge,” Ayush said at the Centre for Badminton Excellence here on Thursday.“When I won the Super 300 [U.S. Open in 2025], I did not see it as a surprise. Even when I got a confirmed medal at the Asian Championship, I believed that I could win the tournament,” the World No. 18 added.This confidence manifested in three straight victories over top-10 players at BAC – the then World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, No. 4 Jonatan Christie and No. 7 Li Shi Feng.“I had never beaten three top-10 players,” stated Ayush, who was No. 25 then. “It has always been like one victory [over an elite player] and then a loss. This run gives me the confidence that I can maintain my level for a longer period. Even my second round opponent Chi Yu Jen (No. 20) was a very tricky player.“Going into the All England [in early March], I felt that I was at my 100%. But the results were different (first round defeat). That is why BAC was important – to keep my confidence and belief high.”The one dull moment in an otherwise golden few days for Ayush was the retirement on Tuesday of double Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, whom he idolises and has even trained with in Dubai.“It’s a bit sad. I always wanted him to retire on the court. He deserved it,” said Ayush about the great Dane who last played competitively in October 2025.“I had told him in 2024 that we will play [competitively] soon. He said ‘sure, I have a couple of more years’. I will always have the regret that I could never play him.”Published on Apr 16, 2026 #Ayush #Shetty #Asian #Championship #run #confidence #maintain #level #longer #period](https://i2.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/nuklw5/article70870299.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/AFP_A7FV7G8.jpg?ssl=1 "Ayush Shetty: Asian Championship run gives me confidence that I can maintain level for longer period Last month, when India’s squad for the Thomas & Uber Cup was announced, Ayush Shetty was a young-and-upcoming 20-year-old who was getting his maiden call up.When India takes to the court in Denmark from April 24, he will be its most in-form player, having made a stirring run to the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) final in China last week.He has broken into the world’s top-20 and there will be expectations galore. But he is confidence personified, despite 2026 being only his second full year on the senior circuit.“My expectations [from myself] are always high, and I take people’s expectations as a challenge,” Ayush said at the Centre for Badminton Excellence here on Thursday.“When I won the Super 300 [U.S. Open in 2025], I did not see it as a surprise. Even when I got a confirmed medal at the Asian Championship, I believed that I could win the tournament,” the World No. 18 added.This confidence manifested in three straight victories over top-10 players at BAC – the then World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, No. 4 Jonatan Christie and No. 7 Li Shi Feng.“I had never beaten three top-10 players,” stated Ayush, who was No. 25 then. “It has always been like one victory [over an elite player] and then a loss. This run gives me the confidence that I can maintain my level for a longer period. Even my second round opponent Chi Yu Jen (No. 20) was a very tricky player.“Going into the All England [in early March], I felt that I was at my 100%. But the results were different (first round defeat). That is why BAC was important – to keep my confidence and belief high.”The one dull moment in an otherwise golden few days for Ayush was the retirement on Tuesday of double Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, whom he idolises and has even trained with in Dubai.“It’s a bit sad. I always wanted him to retire on the court. He deserved it,” said Ayush about the great Dane who last played competitively in October 2025.“I had told him in 2024 that we will play [competitively] soon. He said ‘sure, I have a couple of more years’. I will always have the regret that I could never play him.”Published on Apr 16, 2026 #Ayush #Shetty #Asian #Championship #run #confidence #maintain #level #longer #period")
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