Musetti rescues Turin dream in Wawrinka thriller

In the crisp autumn air of Athens, where the hard courts amplified every urgent footfall, Lorenzo Musetti confronted a crossroads that could redefine his season. Seeded second at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship, the 23-year-old Italian carried the burden of needing this ATP 250 title to vault into the Nitto ATP Finals. Instead of crumbling, he outlasted former world No. 3 Stan Wawrinka 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 over two hours and 25 minutes, a win forged in tactical grit and mental steel that silenced the doubts swirling around his Turin bid.

One-handed artistry meets veteran resolve

The duel unfolded as a showcase of tennis's elegant past, two one-handed backhands slicing through the baseline exchanges with fluid precision. Wawrinka, at 40, imposed his experience early, deploying deep crosscourt shots to stretch Musetti wide and claim the opening set, his topspin forehands landing heavy on the outdoor hard surface. Musetti absorbed the onslaught, countering with inside-out forehands that redirected pace and forced the Swiss into longer rallies, gradually eroding his opponent's rhythm as the crowd's energy built with each probing point.

By the second set, Musetti's adjustments sharpened; he stepped inside the baseline to unleash one-two combinations, pairing serves with deep returns that tested Wawrinka's recovery. The Italian's movement gained fluidity, his slice backhands low and skidding to draw errors from the veteran's heavier strokes. Tension mounted as the set knotted at 6-6, the tiebreak looming like a final hurdle in this battle of styles and stamina.

Tiebreak pivot unleashes decider fire

Trailing 4-5 in the tiebreak, Musetti stood two points from defeat, his shoulders taut under the weight of qualification pressure and the roar of supporters waving Italian flags. Wawrinka faltered then, unforced errors on consecutive forehands gifting the set point, which the 23-year-old seized with a booming inside-in forehand winner that hugged the line. That conversion ignited him; entering the third set, he prowled forward with renewed aggression, varying depths to exploit the hard court's true bounce and probe the Swiss's endurance in extended points.

Musetti's game flowed freer now, his down-the-line backhands piercing gaps while net approaches shortened rallies, forcing Wawrinka into defensive underspin that lacked penetration late. The physical demands told on the veteran, his steps slowing in the heat as Musetti's one-two patterns—serve into crosscourt forehand—seized control, turning the decider into a showcase of youthful precision over seasoned power. He reflected post-match on the mutual respect, chuckling at his rival's fitness while crediting the win to a raised level when it mattered most.

Quarterfinal revenge sharpens title chase

With the trophy now his direct route to Turin, Musetti advances to face fifth-seeded Alexandre Muller in the quarters, a rematch carrying echoes of a 2023 Marrakech defeat. The Frenchman has embodied resilience, saving match points in his first two rounds, culminating in a 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 7-6(3) survival against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, where the Argentine wasted a match point on return at 6-5 in the second set. Muller's baseline steadiness will challenge Musetti's flair, setting up a tactical duel where varied angles and mental edge could tip the scales toward qualification momentum.

Elsewhere, Miomir Kecmanovic powered past third seed Luciano Darderi 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, marking his fourth quarterfinal of the year and extending a 3-1 head-to-head lead—all clashes in 2025. Seeking a second title after Delray Beach, the Serb next meets American Sebastian Korda, injecting fresh intrigue into a draw alive with late-season stakes. For Musetti, this escape against Wawrinka serves as a blueprint: harness the pressure, refine the patterns, and push forward, one decisive point at a time toward that Turin stage.