Tennis

Musetti withdraws from Wimbledon, opens up spot for fellow Italian Berrettini

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Lorenzo Musetti of Italy wipes the sweat from his face during his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File) (Alberto Pezzali)

LONDON (AP) — Former Wimbledon semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti has pulled out of the upcoming grass-court Grand Slam as he continues to recover from a left thigh injury.

Musetti’s withdrawal opens up a spot in the main draw for fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini, a Wimbledon finalist in 2021, who is coming off a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open.

The injury sustained during the Italian Open in May also made Musetti withdraw from the French Open.

“Rehabilitation is going very well and the medical results are encouraging. Unfortunately, as I have not yet been able to begin a full athletic training program, and after careful evaluation, we have come to the difficult conclusion that I will not be able to participate in Wimbledon this year,” the 15th-ranked Musetti said on Instagram on Wednesday.

“It is not an easy decision, but it is the right one. My priority is to return to the court at 100%.”

Musetti reached the semifinals at the All England Club in 2024, losing to Novak Djokovic.

Berrettini is ranked No. 49 but was outside the top 100 when Wimbledon’s entry list was established.

Wimbledon starts June 29.

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

The Associated Press