MELBOURNE, Jan 28 (Reuters) - A distraught Lorenzo Musetti was struggling to comprehend how injury robbed him of victory against Novak Djokovic and a place in the Australian Open semi-final on Wednesday.
The Italian fifth seed outclassed the 24-time Grand Slam champion for two sets at Rod Laver Arena, leading 6-4 6-3 but was then struck by an upper leg injury.
He was 3-1 down in the third set when he quit having had the trainer on court shortly before.
Djokovic, who himself had issues with blistered feet, admitted afterwards he was "on his way home" until Musetti's bad luck and wished the Italian a quick recovery.
For Musetti though it was a heart-breaking end to another Grand Slam challenge after being forced to retire injured in last year's French Open semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz.
"We have done all the exams and tests before starting the season to see and to try and prevent these kind of injuries, and then they say nothing came out," he told reporters.
"So I honestly have no words to describe how I'm feeling right now and how tough is for me this injury in this moment.
"Honestly, I never imagined the feeling of leading two sets to zero against Novak and playing like that and have the lead of the match like that and be forced to retire is something that I will never imagine. Of course, it's really painful."
Musetti said he had felt the injury throughout the second set but had managed to soldier on, but after sitting down at the end of that set the pain had increased.
"When I was going with the forehand on the open stance, I was feeling that I could not come back to the middle and then I could not really play," he said.
While he said he still needed to have the injury assessed he felt it was an adductor muscle.
"I feel personally that I know my body, and I feel personally that I'm kind of secure that this is a tear," he said. "I'm going to have to check for sure better and try to see and to clear out what it is.
"Also to try to think about a process of rehabilitation and, you know, recovery."
(Reporting by Martyn HermanEditing by Ros Russell)
