Musetti one win from Turin after saving MP, but Djokovic awaits in Athens final
Lorenzo Musetti kept alive his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes by his fingertips on Friday at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship, where he saved one match point en route to clawing past Sebastian Korda 6-0, 5-7, 7-5.
To secure a dream debut appearance at the prestigious season finale in his home country, the Italian must lift the trophy at the ATP 250 in Athens, where he will play Novak Djokovic in the final. Felix Auger-Aliassime currently holds the eighth and final qualifying spot in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin. Whichever of the two competes in Turin will land straight in the spotlight, joining Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Ben Shelton in the Bjorn Borg Group following Thursday’s official draw.
“I think we both played a fantastic match,” Musetti said after his two-hour, 20-minute win. “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.”
In a rollercoaster contest in Athens, Musetti saved one match point against Korda at 4-5 in the third set when he fired down an ace. The second seed went on to hold before he earned a crucial break of serve himself in the following game to clinch momentum and then seal victory. After his win, the Italian let out a roar and raised his fist to the sky.
Into his eighth tour-level final, Musetti will face Djokovic in the title match on Saturday. The Serbian leads the Italian 8-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
Musetti is chasing his third tour-level crown and first since Naples in 2022. The 23-year-old has lost finals in Barcelona and Chengdu this year. Korda ends the season holding a 22-18 record, according to the ATP Infosys Win/Loss Index.
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