India, June 21 -- Lorenzo Musetti, 23, of Tuscany, Italy, lasted three-and-a-half sets against Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final of the French Open, before pulling up with cramps.

For about 120 of the 145 minutes they spent on court, Musetti gave the champion a run for his money. It was perhaps inevitable that the Italian would lose; he hadn't beaten the Spaniard in any of their last five meetings. Still, this was more than just another semi-final loss in the annual cycle of Grand Slam tournaments. For many, it was personal.

Musetti, ranked No. 7, is the best single-handed backhand player in the world today. The leader of a dying breed of men and women who have been sidelined by sports science - the one-handed backhand return is deemed t...