The match was a gruelling three-hour marathon, with Musetti leading 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5, 3-2 when Collignon had to stop.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The match marked Musetti's Grand Slam debut, shortly after he attained his career-high ranking of No. 5 on January 12, 2026, following his final appearance in Hong Kong. He is only the third Italian man in history to reach this ranking milestone.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Italian\u2019s start to the first Grand Slam of the season was shaky as he handed an early advantage to Collignon, who clinched the first set 6-4. The fifth seed missed a break point early in the set and couldn't recover against his Belgian opponent, leading to a poor start to his tournament.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
However, after being pushed to the brink by the World No. 72, the Italian battled through a fierce tie-break in the second set and ultimately won it 7-6, (7-3).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Musetti appeared well on his way to advancing to the second round, leaving Collignon to require something exceptional to turn the match around.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Just when Musetti seemed the favourite to advance, holding a lead in the fourth set with the score at 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 3-2, Collignon retired hurt, granting his Italian opponent a walkover.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Musetti asked the crowd to give a standing ovation to Collignon as he walked off the court, exhausted.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The World No. 72 showed clear signs of physical distress in the third set and was forced to retire despite receiving on-court medical treatment. Collignon has a track record of physical issues in demanding matches, most notably severe cramping during a Davis Cup victory over de Minaur in late 2025.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Musetti asked the crowd to give a standing ovation to Collignon as he walked off the court, exhausted.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sonego, who beat Musetti at the Paris Masters in late 2025, won his latest match in four sets earlier in the day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n