Lorenzo Musetti kept his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals alive by beating Stan Wawrinka in Athens.
The Italian lost the opening set, but fought back to take down the 40-year-old two-time Grand Slam champion in three sets.
Wawrinka and Musetti have shared history on the court and their second meeting on the ATP Tour went the way of the Italian.
Wawrinka shows no signs of retiring anytime soon and the Swiss star has shared a message with his opponent.
Lorenzo Musetti and Stan Wawrinka share social media messages
On Instagram, the former World No. 3 wrote: “Thank you Greece. That was fun. Well done, Lorenzo Musetti,” along with a video of one of their points.
The Italian responded ahead of his must-win clash with Alexandre Muller in the Hellenic Championship quarter-final.
“Always a pleasure to share the court with a legend like you,” wrote the Italian, who is battling it out with Felix Auger-Aliassime over the final qualifying place at the ATP Finals.
Musetti faces a tough task to qualify for the ATP Finals, with Sebastian Korda and a likely meeting with Novak Djokovic standing in his way.
Auger-Aliassime has opted not to play the Moselle Open in Metz, which means Musetti has his fate in his own hands.
What Lorenzo Musetti said after defeating Stan Wawrinka
Musetti survived two match points against Wawrinka and he’s under no illusion about the task that stands in his way to qualify for the ATP Finals.
“I think everybody knows what’s next in my mind, it’s not easy to play with that in my mind. But of course, if I want to qualify for [Turin], I have to lift the trophy here.”
Nevertheless, the World No. 9 still took time to celebrate Wawrinka, who continues to impress on the court into his forties.
“He was not struggling physically at his age, so hopefully when I’m 40, I will do the same. 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 impressive tennis today. I had to raise the level to win this match, especially in the third set.”
Musetti has enjoyed his best season to date in 2025, which has included two ATP finals and a semi-final appearance at Roland Garros.
