Injured Thompson injured in semi-final defeat at Queen’s Club

Australia’s Jordan Thompson suffered the double agony of a narrow defeat in the most important semi-final of his career, made worse by an apparent back injury sustained in his Queen’s Club Championship loss to Lorenzo Musetti.

Thompson, playing in his first ATP 500 semi-final in his 11-year career, put up a typically brave fight to bounce back after losing the first set, but eventually lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to the graceful Italian, who had knocked out Australian No. 1 Alex de Minaur earlier in the week.

Thompson had hoped to emulate de Minaur, who reached the final of tennis’s second biggest grass-court event last year, but back problems that emerged early in the second set did not help him as he required constant treatment throughout Saturday’s match.

The problem, which appeared to arise when he bent low to slice a shot after fighting for an early break in the second set, nevertheless did not stop the Sydneysider from playing a brilliant set in which he went on the attack, forcing the 22-year-old rising star from Carrara out of his elegant comfort zone and levelling the match.

Thompson had a medical timeout during which he lay on the sidelines while receiving treatment and the physiotherapist was called during the subsequent game substitutions.

It looked like the match could go either way in a close deciding set, but the 30-year-old Thompson eventually crumbled under the pressure of a targeted attack by Musetti on the Australian’s throw in the eighth game.

Thompson fended off break points three times before he had to watch in agony on the fourth attempt as his supposedly winning drop volley at the net flew just millimetres past the goal line and gave the Italian the decisive breakthrough.

Thompson could only stand at the net in horror, hardly believing that the volley was out. And he never really recovered when Musetti served to make it 0-0 and then collapsed with joy.

“That was definitely one of the toughest matches of the week. Jordan played at an incredible level, especially in the second and third sets,” said Musetti, who showed that Italian men’s tennis is not just about world number one Jannik Sinner and former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini.

“At 4-3 I played some great shots that gave me the break and I kept my cool under pressure. For me it was crucial to hold my serve at the end and I’m really proud of what I achieved this week.”

“I love this sport, I am passionate about it and have dreamed of being number one in the world since I was a child.

“It would be great to win here at the traditional Queen’s. There are a lot of Italians here in London, I really feel at home.”