athens
Musetti narrowly beats Wawrinka, two points from defeat, to keep Turin’s hopes alive
Italy advances to the semi-finals in Athens, Kekmanovic wins in three sets
November 5, 2025
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Lorenzo Musetti aims to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.
Written by ATP Staff
Lorenzo Musetti’s hopes of reaching the Nitto ATP Finals were in jeopardy on Wednesday, but the Italian seized the opportunity as he continues his quest for a debut in Turin.
The 23-year-old defeated former world No. 3 Stan Wawrinka 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 at the Wanda Pharma Greek Championship to advance to the quarter-finals. The second seed must win the ATP 250 title to qualify for the season finals.
“I think everyone knows what I’m going to do next and it’s not easy playing in my head,” a relieved Musetti said in an on-court interview. “But of course, if I want to qualify [Turin]I have to lift the trophy here. “
In the most exciting one-handed backhand exchange between two men, Musetti trailed by two points at 4/5 in the second set tie-break. However, the Swiss then made two unforced errors, giving Musetti a set point which he sealed with a powerful forehand winner. Musetti played with ease in the deciding set, swinging freely and pushing forward while testing the 40-year-old’s physical limits throughout the two-hour, 25-minute match.
Musetti said with a smile: “He hasn’t had any physical problems at his age so hopefully when I’m 40 I’ll be doing the same thing. “It was a huge effort from Stan but of course I’m very happy with the win.
“I wanted to say thank you for sharing a court with a legend that I have been inspired by since I was a kid, so a big round of applause for Stan for playing some impressive tennis today. I had to step up my game to win this match, especially in the third set.”
Musetti’s next opponent is fifth-seeded Frenchman Alexander Muller. Musetti will seek revenge against Muller, who defeated the Italian in Marrakech in 2023. Muller saved a match point in the first two games, and his latest victory was a 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 7-6(3) victory over Thomas Martin Echeverri. In the second set, the Argentine won the match point 6-5.
Earlier, Miomir Kekmanović defeated third seed Luciano Dadri 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Heading into his fourth quarter-final of the year, Kecmanovic leads the Italian team 3-1 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head Series, with all four matches set to be played in 2025. Kekmanovich is looking for its second title of the season after winning in Delray Beach. Next he will meet American Sebastian Korda.
