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.

George Loffhagen’s season is a study in regained purpose. The 24-year-old London-born player moved to a career-high world No. 200 after a run that includes his first ATP Challenger title and strong indoor results across Europe.

In late July he won the Open Castilla y León in El Espinar, Segovia, Spain, his first ATP Challenger triumph and a payoff for persistence. Since that victory he has carried momentum into the indoor swing, reaching the semi-finals at the Hamburg Ladies & Gents Cup two weeks ago after beating defending champion Henri Squire in the quarterfinals.

Loffhagen is known for a powerful serve and a composed baseline game. On his approach he is clear: “I try to play aggressively, serving well. I use a lot of intensity.” That combination has underpinned eight ITF World Tennis Tour titles, four of them in 2025 alone, and has given him a steadier footprint on the Challenger circuit.

His trajectory has not been linear. In the summer of 2021 he stepped away from tennis. “I just wasn’t enjoying it at that time,” he recalls. “I wanted to do something else. I worked in a pub, studied a bit, went to university… and then I played a couple of tournaments and enjoyed it again. I didn’t want to have regrets—so I decided to start again.” The break offered perspective as much as rest.

“When you’re young and you’re doing well, you can see it as pressure,” he says. “Now, I’m a bit older and more mature. It’s easier to deal with the ups and downs of tennis.” Off court he keeps life simple: relaxing, watching series such as The Traitors, or following athletics casually. He studied math, chemistry, and physics and admits, “I was good at it, but I wouldn’t say it’s a passion.”

Ambition remains measured and ongoing. “I was looking to get into the Top 200 by the end of the year,” he says. “You always look for the next thing. It never stops.” For Loffhagen, time away, refined focus, and steady results have combined into the clearest season of his career to date.