Lorenzo Musetti enters the Athens semifinals with a simple and urgent objective: win the Hellenic Championship and secure the final available place at the Nitto ATP Finals. The Italian advanced through the quarterfinals without the same drama as his opener, following a tight escape against Stan Wawrinka.

Seeded No. 2, Musetti was in control from the baseline against fifth-seeded Alexandre Muller, losing serve only once in a 6-2, 6-4 victory that moved him to the tournament’s halfway point on his path to Turin. “A better match, a better start also compared to yesterday. The key was today, I served really, really good,” he said in his on-court interview. “That gave me the confidence with the game to be more aggressive, especially with the forehand. That’s what I need to do in this kind of surface.”

The 23-year-old carries the weight of recent final losses and a longer title drought, seeking an indoor tour-level crown for the first time after last lifting a trophy in October 2022. He has lost his past five finals and knows a title here would keep his season alive with a return to the Finals.

Waiting in the semifinal is Sebastian Korda, who has collected three wins at the inaugural ATP 250 event and is aiming to finish the season inside the year-end Top 50. Korda has shown resilience in Athens, coming back from a set down in his first two matches before dispatching Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-2 while firing 13 aces. “I played a good match. I knew I had to play really well to beat Misha. He’s an incredible player, unbelievably solid from the back,” Korda told the crowd. “I’m excited to end the year at a great tournament and hopefully I can keep going. It’s pretty easy when you get fueled by some good food.”

Musetti acknowledged Korda’s comfort on indoor hard courts and insisted his focus will remain match by match. “I’m trying to think about match that I need to prepare. Sebastian is a really great opponent, especially in these conditions. He really likes to play on hard indoor,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough match. I need to focus on myself and what I have to do, not thinking too much on what’s coming next.”

Novak Djokovic continued to win over his new home crowd in Athens, defeating Nuno Borges 7-6 (1), 6-4 to reach the semifinals of the indoor hard-court event. The 24-time Grand Slam champion, who relocated to Greece earlier this year, closed out the match in straight sets to advance to the final four.

The victory moved Djokovic into the 199th tour-level semifinal of his career, the third-most for a man in the Open Era. Those semifinals include a record 53 at Grand Slams and 80 at Masters 1000 events, with Federer next on 46 Grand Slam semifinals and Nadal next with 76 at the Masters 1000 level.

Earlier in the day, Lorenzo Musetti recovered from a grueling win over Stan Wawrinka to post a more straightforward quarterfinal victory, beating Alexandre Muller 6-2, 6-4. Musetti’s run in Athens carries significant stakes for his season: he must win the title this week to qualify for this year’s ATP Finals. If he does not capture the Athens title, Felix Auger-Aliassime will become the eighth and final qualifier in Turin.

Djokovic’s progress to the semifinals adds another chapter to an already historic career, while Musetti’s path keeps his Finals hopes alive. Both players will head into the semifinal round with momentum from their quarterfinal performances and the chance to change the closing weeks of the 2025 season.

The ATP Finals draw placed top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz in the same group as Novak Djokovic, while defending champion Jannik Sinner was drawn alongside Alexander Zverev.

The Jimmy Connors group lists Alcaraz, Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur. The Bjorn Borg group contains Sinner, Zverev, Ben Shelton and either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Lorenzo Musetti, who are contesting the final spot.

Auger-Aliassime currently holds the eighth qualifying position. Musetti can overtake him if he wins the tournament in Athens this week. Djokovic, who is also competing in Athens, has not confirmed his participation at the finals. Djokovic, who is a record seven-time champion at the finals, sat out the event last year and has said he will decide whether to play or not after the Athens tournament.

The finals begin on Sunday with round-robin play. The two highest finishers in each group will advance to the semifinals. The championship match is scheduled for Nov. 16.

This will be Alcaraz’s third appearance at the season-ending event; his best previous result was a semifinal showing in 2023. Alcaraz and Sinner remain in contention for the year-end No. 1 ranking, a race that will be settled by their performances at the finals.

The draw pits several past finalists and champions against one another. Zverev is a two-time winner of the tournament, taking the title in 2018 and 2021. Taylor Fritz reached last year’s final but lost to Sinner.

With group play set to start and the Athens tournament likely to determine the final qualifier and influence Djokovic’s decision, the field for the ATP Finals remains partly settled but with important questions still to be answered.