Musetti Upsets Wawrinka in Athens | ATP Tour 2024

Musetti Staves Off Defeat, Keeps Turin Finals Qualification hopes Alive in Athens

Italian Lorenzo Musetti remains in contention for a coveted spot at the Nitto ATP Finals after a hard-fought victory over Stan Wawrinka at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. The 23-year-oldS quarterfinal appearance in Athens hinges on securing the ATP 250 title.

Musetti’s path to the season finale in Turin was far from assured, but he demonstrated resilience to overcome the former world No. 3, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. The second seed acknowledged the pressure, stating, “I think everybody knows what’s next in my mind, it’s not easy to play with that in my mind.” He added, “But of course, if I want to qualify for [Turin], I have to lift the trophy here.”

The match featured a compelling contrast of styles, notably the elegant one-handed backhands of both players. Musetti found himself on the brink of elimination, trailing 4/5 in the second-set tie-break. However, a pair of unforced errors from Wawrinka shifted the momentum, allowing Musetti to seize a set point and ultimately claim the set with a powerful forehand winner.

Did you know? – Lorenzo Musetti is currently ranked 26th in the world as of November 6,2025. Qualifying for the ATP Finals requires being within the top 8 of the Race to Turin standings.

The Italian appeared to find a new gear in the deciding set, exhibiting greater aggression and pushing the 40-year-old Wawrinka to his physical limits over the course of the two-hour, 25-minute encounter. “He was not struggling physically at his age, so hopefully when I’m 40, I will do the same,” Musetti remarked with a smile. He continued, expressing his respect for his opponent: “A really, really big effort from Stan, but of course I’m really happy with the win. I want to say thanks for sharing a court with a legend, an inspiration since I was a kid, so a big applause to Stan who showed some notable tennis today. I had to raise the level to win this match,especially in the third set.”

Musetti Faces Muller in Quarterfinal Rematch

Next up for musetti is a quarterfinal clash against fifth-seeded Frenchman Alexandre Muller. This will be a rematch of their 2023 encounter in Marrakech, a match Muller won. Muller himself has demonstrated remarkable composure in Athens, having saved match points in both of his opening matches, most recently defeating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 7-6(3). Etcheverry had a chance to close out the match at 6-5 in the second set.

Pro tip: – When facing an opponent you’ve lost to before, focus on identifying what went wrong in the previous match and adjusting your strategy accordingly.

Kecmanovic Advances,Awaits Korda

Earlier in the day,Miomir Kecmanovic secured his place in the quarterfinals with a 4-6,6-2,6-3 victory over third seed Luciano Darderi. This marks Kecmanovic’s fourth quarterfinal appearance of the year. He currently holds a 3-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head advantage over Darderi, with all four matches taking place in 2025. Kecmanovic, who previously won a title in Delray Beach th

Reader question: – Do you think Musetti’s experience playing under pressure will help him in his quest to qualify for the ATP Finals? What adjustments might he need to make?

Why: Lorenzo Musetti needed to win against Stan Wawrinka to maintain his chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. His