In a nail-biting match at the Hellenic Championships in Athens, Lorenzo Musetti narrowly avoided a setback in his quest to secure a spot in next week’s ATP Finals in Turin. The young Italian showcased his resilience while battling the veteran Stan Wawrinka, ultimately prevailing with a score of 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
Following the match, Musetti, who is 23 years old, acknowledged the pressure he faces as he aims for a tournament victory. “If I want to qualify for Turin, I have to lift the trophy here,” he stated during his on-court interview after a lengthy two hours and 25 minutes of play. His victory against the 40-year-old Swiss, a celebrated three-time Grand Slam champion, is particularly vital for Musetti, who is striving to surpass Felix Auger-Aliassime in the ATP rankings to claim the eighth and final qualifying position for the season-ending event.
The tension escalated during a pivotal moment in the second-set tiebreak, where Musetti found himself just two points from elimination. In a moment of fortuitous fortune, Wawrinka stumbled with two unforced errors, paving the way for Musetti to secure a set point, which he clinched with a powerful forehand winner. This turning point allowed him to regain his composure and ultimately secure the match.
Acknowledging Wawrinka’s impressive performance, Musetti expressed his admiration, saying, “A really, really big effort from Stan, but of course I’m really happy with the win.” He further added humorously, “He was not struggling physically at his age, so hopefully when I’m 40, I will do the same.”
Next, Musetti will face Alexandre Muller, the fifth seed, who recently edged past Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry in a tight encounter, winning 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 7-6(3) after saving a match point.
In other quarterfinal matchups, Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic advanced with a win over third seed Luciano Darderi, while American Sebastian Korda triumphed against Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur. American Marcos Giron also made headlines by claiming his first victory over compatriot Brandon Nakashima, progressing to his sixth quarterfinal this season.
Meanwhile, over at the Moselle Open in Metz, another thrilling tournament is unfolding. Ukrainian Lucky Loser Vitaliy Sachko achieved a significant milestone by defeating the third-seeded Alexander Bublik in a close match ending 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. This victory propelled Sachko to a rank improvement of 36 spots, now sitting at No. 186, marking him as the first Ukrainian to reach a tour-level quarterfinal in six years.
In additional highlights, American teenager Learner Tien continued to impress by overcoming Tunisian Moez Echargui, securing his place in a sixth tour-level quarterfinal this season. He is set to face Matteo Berrettini, who outlasted Austria’s Aleksander Vukic.
The excitement continued with French qualifier Clement Tabur edging out Alexander Blockx in a grueling three-set match and advancing to meet Sachko. Daniel Altmaier progressed after Hugo Gaston was forced to retire, while French Lucky Loser Kyrian Jacquet marked his breakthrough by reaching his first quarterfinal against Cameron Norrie.
As these tournaments progress, the competition heats up, with players vying for crucial rankings and titles ahead of the ATP Finals.
