Lorenzo Musetti defeats Stan Wawrinka in Athens

Lorenzo Musetti kept his Nitto ATP Finals hopes alive on Wednesday by defeating Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka at the ATP 250 event in Athens. The 23-year-old Italian, seeded second, must win the tournament to secure qualification for the season-ending event in Turin.

"I think everybody knows what’s next in my mind, it’s not easy to play with that in my mind," said Musetti. "But of course, if I want to qualify for Turin, I have to lift the trophy here."

In one of the most elegant one-handed backhand battles on the tour, Musetti found himself two points from defeat at 4/5 in the second-set tiebreak. However, a pair of unforced errors from Wawrinka gave the Italian a set point, which he converted with a powerful forehand winner.

With renewed confidence, Musetti dominated the deciding set, showing aggression and variety while testing his 40-year-old opponent’s endurance over a two-hour, 25-minute contest.

"He was not struggling physically at his age, so hopefully when I’m 40, I will do the same," Musetti said with a laugh. "A really big effort from Stan, but I’m very happy with the win."

After expressing his admiration for Wawrinka, Musetti added:

"Thanks for sharing the court with a legend and an inspiration since I was a kid. A big applause to Stan for showing such impressive tennis today. I had to raise my level to win, especially in the third set."

Next, Musetti will face fifth-seeded Frenchman Alexandre Muller in the quarterfinals.

Author’s Summary

Musetti survived a tense battle against Wawrinka in Athens, showing determination and flair to keep his Turin qualification dreams alive.

ATP Tour — 2025-11-05

Lorenzo Musetti Defeats Stan Wawrinka in Athens

Author’s Summary

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