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Lorenzo Musetti's coach Simone Tartarini stated that nobody knew about Novak Djokovic's last-minute withdrawal, and that his team had booked flights and rooms in Turin ahead of the ATP Finals. Musetti replaced the Serb after he announced non-participation in the year-end Championships due to a shoulder injury.
Novak Djokovic was in contention at the Hellenic Championships, a month after his loss to eventual champion Valentin Vacherot in the Shanghai Masters semifinals. At the ATP 250 tournament in Athens, the Serb defeated Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets in the final to win his 101st career title.
Shortly after the victory, the Serb announced that he would sit out the ATP Finals due to a shoulder injury, despite being placed in Jimmy Connors' group. As a result, Musetti replaced Djokovic and he now has an opportunity to secure a place in the semifinals.
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Ahead of Musetti's last group stage match, the Italian’s coach Simone Tartarini revealed that they had no information about Djokovic’s withdrawal.
"Nobody knew anything. All week we tried to understand. We joked with his team who kept telling us that only Nole would decide at the last minute. They had booked everything for Turin, the rooms, the flights. At first, we discussed it amongst ourselves: nobody knew anything, there really were no clues," he said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport (translated from French)
Musetti can reach the semifinals if he beats Alcaraz in straight sets, but the result will also be dependent on Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur's match-up.
Lorenzo Musetti eyes a semifinal spot but says beating Carlos Alcaraz would be a "miracle"
Lorenzo Musetti’s luck turned when Djokovic withdrew, allowing him to take the Serb’s place in Turin. Although he has been having a decent campaign so far, he is yet to face his toughest opponent - someone who is in contention for the World No. 1 spot.
Ahead of his clash with Alcaraz, the Italian admitted that he would need a miracle to beat the Spaniard, even though the latter would not be playing on his preferred surface.
"It will be the toughest match in the group. I know him very well because we have already faced each other several times, including this season. I'm sure of one thing ahead of the match. I will be the crowd favorite, and I hope they can help me pull off a miracle. Carlos does not feel as comfortable on this surface as on clay. However, it's still very hard to beat him," he said. (via press conference)
Lorenzo Musetti has had multiple deep runs in the Grand Slams this year, helping him make his top 10 debut.
