Melbourne: World no. 5 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy advanced to the second round after his Belgian opponent Raphael Collignon retired due to injury.
The match was a gruelling three-hour marathon, with Musetti leading 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5, 3-2 when Collignon had to stop.
The match marked Musetti’s Grand Slam debut, shortly after he attained his career-high ranking of No. 5 on January 12, 2026, following his final appearance in Hong Kong. He is only the third Italian man in history to reach this ranking milestone.
The Italian’s start to the first Grand Slam of the season was shaky as he handed an early advantage to Collignon, who clinched the first set 6-4. The fifth seed missed a break point early in the set and couldn’t recover against his Belgian opponent, leading to a poor start to his tournament.
However, after being pushed to the brink by the World No. 72, the Italian battled through a fierce tie-break in the second set and ultimately won it 7-6, (7-3).
Musetti appeared well on his way to advancing to the second round, leaving Collignon to require something exceptional to turn the match around.
Just when Musetti seemed the favourite to advance, holding a lead in the fourth set with the score at 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 3-2, Collignon retired hurt, granting his Italian opponent a walkover.
Musetti asked the crowd to give a standing ovation to Collignon as he walked off the court, exhausted.
The World No. 72 showed clear signs of physical distress in the third set and was forced to retire despite receiving on-court medical treatment. Collignon has a track record of physical issues in demanding matches, most notably severe cramping during a Davis Cup victory over de Minaur in late 2025.
Musetti now advances to face Italian rival Lorenzo Sonego in the second round.
Sonego, who beat Musetti at the Paris Masters in late 2025, won his latest match in four sets earlier in the day.
(IANS)
