Novak Djokovic sets "dream final" with Lorenzo Musetti in Athens

The "dream final" at the inaugural Hellenic Championship is set: top seed Novak Djokovic will face second seed Lorenzo Musetti at the ATP 250 event in Athens. While Djokovic is aiming to lift his first trophy in his new home city on Saturday, Musetti continues his pursuit of the last of the coveted spots at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Djokovic booked his place in the title match on Friday afternoon with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory over German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, ending the 33-year-old’s impressive run. Just weeks after being pushed to three sets by Hanfmann at the Shanghai Masters, the Serbian was in command for most of the rallies in Athens.

The only moment of concern came midway through the first set when Hanfmann broke serve for a 3-1 lead, prompting Djokovic to glance at the jumbotron above the court with a little hint of frustration. But the World No. 5 immediately regained control, breaking back to 4-3 and never looking back. After just over an hour of play, Djokovic sealed the win to reach yet another tour-level final - this time in Greece.

Djokovic improves match-by-match

“I think it was the best tennis I’ve played this tournament,” said Djokovic, who broke a four-match losing streak in semifinals to reach an ATP Tour final a 23rd country for his career. “It came at the right time. Hanfmann poses a great threat because he serves big, has a big game, so I needed to really stay focused. I was a break down in the second, but I held my composure. I’m very excited for the final.”

The 38-year-old Belgrade native will appear in his 144th tour-level championship match, his third of the season after Miami and Geneva, and his 95th on hard courts. Djokovic is eyeing his 101st tour-level title.

Part of Djokovic’s preparation for the final will take place on unusual ground, as the Serb was planning to attend die Euro League basketball game between Olympiakos Piraeus and Partizan Belgrade. “The match time wasn’t too long,” Djokovic stated during his press conference. “I have to do recoveries in the next couple of hours and probably won’t make it to the beginning of the game, but I will try to make it.”

Musetti survives Korda scare

Meanwhile, Musetti fought past Sebastian Korda from the United States 6-0, 5-7, 7-5. In a topsy-turvy match, the 23-year-old Italian needed to save one match point to prevail after two hours and 20 minutes.

“We both played a really fantastic match. The level was very high, and it was an intense match for the crowd,” Musetti said during his on-court interview. The world No. 9 is seeking his third career title after lifting trophies on home soil in Naples and Hamburg, Germany three years ago.

Since then, Musetti has finished runner-up five times, twice this season.

“I wasn’t really lucky with finals in the past years. Hopefully this will change tomorrow,” Musetti said. “I am playing for two goals, and I am already focusing on tomorrow.”

Top two seeds prevail in Athens

The 24-time Grand Slam champion thinks there would've been no better final for the first edition of the tournament. In that spirit, a spectacular conclusion awaits.

“No. 1 seed against the No. 2 seed is a dream final for probably every tournament. It’ll be great,” Djokovic said.

“I have a very good win score against him, but he is still looking for a place at the ATP Finals and needs to win the tournament. He plays well and that’s what everyone wants to see: high-quality tennis,” said Djokovic, who leads the head-to-head record with Musetti 8-1. Their last meeting took place in the round of the last 16 at the Miami Open earlier this season, when the Serb won in straight sets.

“I invite everyone to come back tomorrow. Let’s make the stadium full and let’s enjoy tennis,” Djokovic told the crowd on Friday.