Musetti Keeps ATP Finals Hopes Alive with Tight Win
Lorenzo Musetti remains in contention for the year-end Nitto ATP Finals in Turin after a hard-fought victory against Sebastian Korda in the Hellenic Championship semi-finals, winning 6-0, 5-7, 7-5 in a closely contested match.
The Italian must overcome Novak Djokovic in the final to secure qualification for Turin. Djokovic reached his 144th ATP Tour final by defeating Yannick Hanfmann in the other semi-final.
Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada currently holds the eighth and final qualifying spot. However, Musetti could join him, along with Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Ben Shelton, in the Bjorn Borg Group with a win over Djokovic.
"I think we both played a fantastic match," Musetti said after his victory over Korda. "The level was getting higher and the adrenaline was intense. I am super happy with the attitude I showed on court and the spirit I am trying to put in every day. Achieving the final here is really important and I am already focusing on tomorrow."
Djokovic leads their head-to-head 8-1, but Musetti has strong motivation to improve on that record. He will be aiming to win his third ATP Tour title and his first since Naples in 2022 when they meet in Athens.
Author's summary: Lorenzo Musetti stays in the race for the ATP Finals with a tough semi-final win, setting up a crucial final showdown against Novak Djokovic.