Lorenzo Musetti has always been a magician with his tennis racket. Now he's producing results, too

ROME (AP) — Elegant one-handed backhands. Perfectly placed drop shots. Topspin lobs. Touch volleys.

Lorenzo Musetti can hit just about every shot necessary in tennis.

And that’s partly what’s been holding him back the last few years.

Musetti has so many options available to him that sometimes he tended to choose the wrong shot at the wrong time.

Not anymore.

Musetti has been playing so consistently this clay-court season that he has become the first Italian man to reach at least the semifinals at all three Masters 1000 events on the surface in one season.

Musetti reached the final of the Monte Carlo Masters, the semifinals of the Madrid Open, and now he’s into the last four of his home Italian Open.

“I’m playing the same tennis I always have. But I have a clearer idea of what I need to do on the court now,” Musetti said after beating defending Rome champion Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. “I have a different mentality and with this level I can aim to win any tournament.”

Musetti’s varied arsenal of shots was on full display against Zverev, when he moved the second-ranked German around the court like he was his own yo-yo at times.

So it seemed appropriate that there was a fan in the Foro Italico crowd holding up an Italian flag that had “Forza Lore” written on it accompanied by a design of a magic wand.

It’s not just variety and shot-making, though, that has enabled Musetti to make his debut in the top 10 of the rankings for the first time this month.

It’s also concentration.

Musetti had set up a match point against Daniil Medvedev when their fourth-round match was interrupted by rain.

The contest was suspended for nearly three hours before the players finally came back out. Musetti closed it out by producing an inside-out forehand winner on the first point of the resumption.

“During the suspension I thought 100,000 times about how it might finish but in the end the reality was even better than my fantasies,” Musetti said.

In the semifinals on Friday, Musetti will face Carlos Alcaraz, who he led by a set before losing to in the Monte Carlo final, which ended with Musetti limping due to a right leg injury.

While facing Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is perhaps the biggest challenge there is on clay, Musetti indicated after beating Zverev that he expects more of himself.

Borrowing a motto from Juventus, his favorite soccer team, Musetti wrote on a TV camera lens: “Fino alla fine” — “All the way.”

Musetti is the same age, 23, as top-ranked Jannik Sinner and he has acknowledged at times how difficult it is to be constantly compared to his fellow Italian.

But Musetti has made progress in reducing the gap to Sinner over the last year, first by reaching the Wimbledon semifinals and then by earning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

Sinner has also advanced to the semifinals in Rome and will play Tommy Paul. No. 5 Jasmine Paolini — another Italian — advanced to the women's final.

“Who knows what's going to happen tomorrow, but if (Musetti) keeps playing like this we'll meet soon,” Sinner said about the prospect of playing Musetti for the title.

Musetti has had the same coach, Simone Tartarini, since he was eight — which is a rarity at this level.

Back at the start, Tartarini was a tennis instructor who sometimes performed babysitting duties for Musetti after they trained at the Tennis Club Spezia a half-hour drive from Musetti’s home in Carrara, where Musetti’s father, Francesco, toiled in the town’s famous marble mines.

“He's a like a second father to me,” Musetti says often of Tartarini.

Carrara is also known as the hometown of Italy soccer great Gianluigi Buffon.

Musetti, like many top tennis players, now lives in Monaco with his girlfriend, Veronica Confalonieri, and their 14-month-old son, Ludovico.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Italy's Lorenzo Musetti returns the ball to United States' Brandon Nakashima, at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 11, 2025 (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)

Italy's Lorenzo Musetti retruns to Germany's Alexander Zverev during a quarter-final tennis match at the Italian Open in Rome, Italy, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Italy's Lorenzo Musetti returns to Germany's Alexander Zverev during a quarter-final tennis match at the Italian Open in Rome, Italy, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Italy's Lorenzo Musetti reacts winning the quarter-final tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the Italian Open in Rome, Italy, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Italy's Lorenzo Musetti reacts winning the quarter-final tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the Italian Open in Rome, Italy, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)