Trap land

Loré may well have gotten past a tough stage, but now there’s no room for beating around the bush!

Everything’s been said. Musetti did justice to his world No. 5 ranking in Hong Kong. His level on hard courts is really much better. He’s improved in many areas, including his mental management of matches. There’s a slight concern because he had to stop his exhibition match against Z 4–5 days ago, but he was surely just being very cautious (the hip, I think). If Collignon is a guy who never gives up and is capable of great things in big matches, he still has a game that can be unsettled by Loré’s variation. And like I’m telling you, if Loré is feeling good and gets pushed around a bit, as often happens at the start of a match/tournament with him, there’s a gap in level between the two players. Loré has added real firepower in the attacking patterns, on top of the defensive quality that made his reputation.