World no. 5 Lorenzo Musetti from Italy progressed to the second round of the Australian Open as his Belgian competitor Raphael Collignon retired due to injury. The match, lasting three hours, saw Musetti leading 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5, 3-2 when Collignon had to withdraw.
This marked Musetti’s debut in a Grand Slam tournament, following his recent achievement of reaching a career-high ranking of No. 5 on January 12, 2026, after his performance in Hong Kong. He became only the third Italian man in history to attain this ranking milestone.
Despite a shaky start in the first set, where Collignon took the lead by winning 6-4, Musetti managed to recover and secure the second set with a 7-6 (7-3) victory in a tough tie-break. Musetti’s strong performance put him in a favorable position to advance to the next round.
As the match progressed, Musetti maintained his lead in the fourth set with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 3-2, before Collignon retired due to injury, granting Musetti a walkover. Musetti acknowledged Collignon’s effort and asked the crowd for a standing ovation as his opponent left the court.
Collignon, who displayed signs of physical distress during the match and received on-court medical attention, has a history of physical problems in challenging games. Musetti will now face fellow Italian player Lorenzo Sonego in the upcoming round, who recently won his match in four sets.
