Musetti chases Turin dream in Athens, Djokovic may face bogeyman
The ATP 250 in Athens next week could decide Lorenzo Musetti’s Nitto ATP Finals fate and feature an early test for 100-time tour-level titlist Novak Djokovic, providing several intriguing storylines for fans to follow at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship.
With one Nitto ATP Finals spot still up for grabs, Musetti is fighting to keep his hopes alive in a tight PIF ATP Live Race To Turin that could be decided in the final week of the season. Meanwhile, top-seeded Djokovic could open his campaign against a familiar foe — Alejandro Tabilo, one of three players to have faced the Serbian at least twice and not lost.
[ATP AWARDS]Musetti, eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, is aiming to make his Nitto ATP Finals debut and join countryman Jannik Sinner at the season finale on home soil.
Should ninth-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime win his semi-final match Saturday at the Rolex Paris Masters, the Canadian will move ahead of Musetti, adding weight to the 23-year-old’s Athens appearance. Musetti will begin against former No. 3 Stan Wawrinka or Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Djokovic, competing for the first time since Shanghai, will face either Tabilo or Australian Adam Walton in his opening match. Tabilo beat the 100-time tour-level titlist Djokovic earlier this year in Monte-Carlo and last season in Rome. Djokovic holds a 35-11 season record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.