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Australian De Minaur was aiming to reach his second Masters 1000 final, and having thrashed Daniil Medvedev and Grigor Dimitrov this week, expectations were high that he would make the showpiece.

But despite claiming the first set with relative ease, De Minaur was unable to maintain the momentum, allowing Musetti to advance to his first ATP Masters 1000 final.

Musetti began to find the corners with more consistency in the sets that he won and produced several stunning winners on the red clay.

After two hours and 38 minutes, he was the winner and will rise to a career high No.11 on the world rankings as a result.

"I always struggle to start and find a rhythm but today Alex was playing really solid and the conditions were hard," Musetti said after the match.

"It was slow today with the rain and it was not easy to break through the Alex wall. I started to be more patient and that was the key."

Musetti defeated three-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals and now is just one win away from clinching his third tour-level title and first since 2022.

That won't come easy, though as Musetti faces Carlos Alcaraz in the championship match.

"The confidence is something that you have to experience to believe," Musetti said. "It is something really remarkable, sharing these beautiful moments with my friends and family. It is my home and I feel at home."