Day 8 - Under the lights: Italian job

 - Alix Ramsay

Lorenzo Musetti (8) vs Holger Rune (10): Sunday 1 June, Court Philippe-Chatrier, not before 20:15

Believe it or not, it is possible to be too talented for your own good. Just ask Lorenzo Musetti.

The cheerful, charming world No.7, can do so many things with a bat and ball that life can sometimes become very complicated. Tennis is essentially a simple sport (the goal, after all, is only to hit the ball into a place your opponent can’t reach) but too much talent makes it difficult.

“I think for someone who has my weapons, I have so many choices,” he explained. “It's even easier sometimes to do the wrong one. I think this process takes time, especially for my personality and how I am on the court. Of course, I can play much more with a lot of clear ideas of what I have to do on court. In the last few months I think there's been a step forward for that.”

There have been steps forward in the past week, too. He dropped the first set against Mariano Navone in the last round but only because he was rushing. Once he took a deep breath, he was back on track and eased through the next three sets. Now he faces Holger Rune for a place in the quarter-finals.

Last year, the Italian reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon. That pushed him into the world’s top 20; this year, a sensational month saw him win in Monte Carlo and reach the semi-finals in Madrid and Rome. That run took him into the top 10 and gave him a new wave of confidence.

“Many, many great, great results I had this month,” he said. “So of course I feel in a good shape, in the best period of my life. I think I have also to take all this stuff and try to enjoy also when I'm stepping on court.”

Also bringing a huge smile to his face is the prospect of becoming a father for the second time. He was ever-so-slightly terrified when his girlfriend, Veronica, announced she was expecting their first child (what first-time father-to-be isn’t?) but once Ludovico was born, he was the proudest dad on the planet. Now he cannot wait for his second child to arrive.

Musetti has lost twice before to Rune but that was before fatherhood and a place in the top 10 gave him the confidence to take on the world.