Is Lorenzo Musetti’s bid for a first Nitto ATP Finals qualification threatened by Felix Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev?
All three stars claimed ATP 250 titles on Sunday which could be crucial as the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin approaches its climax. With 10th-placed Jack Draper out for the rest of the season due to injury, Auger-Aliassime (ninth), Ruud (11th) and Medvedev (12th) continue to put the pressure on Musetti, who currently occupies the final qualifying spot in eighth, and Alex de Minaur, who is just ahead in seventh.
Musetti has made it clear that a big goal this season is to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, which is especially important for the Italian as the event is played on home soil. But Musetti has never earned his place at the season finale before, while those behind him have.
Three years ago, Auger-Aliassime entered the field late thanks to success during that same indoor season. Ruud is a three-time qualifier for the year-end championships, while Medvedev is seeking his seventh consecutive qualification.
PIF ATP Live Race to Turin (after Brussels, Stockholm, Almaty)
Player | Points |
4) Alexander Zverev | 4,280 |
5) Taylor Fritz | 3,835 |
6) Ben Shelton | 3,720 |
7) Alex de Minaur | 3,545 |
8) Lorenzo Musetti | 3,485 |
9) Felix Auger-Aliassime | 3,155 |
10) Jack Draper | 2,990 |
11) Casper Ruud | 2,745 |
12) Daniil Medvedev | 2,610 |
*Draper will not participate for the remainder of the season due to an injury
After his sixth ATP Tour title on indoor courts in Brussels, Auger-Aliassime is only 330 points behind Musetti. He is a proven hard-court contender and the two-time Basel champion has the opportunity to close the gap further when he returns to the ATP 500 event.
Ruud picked up his first Stockholm trophy and sent a reminder. He is 740 points behind Musetti, but could go even further during his participation in Basel.
Medvedev entered the Rolex Shanghai Masters ranked 20th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, but he reached the semi-finals and backed it up with a title run at the Almaty Open. The former Nitto ATP Finals champion is now 13th and will take his chances to gain more ground in Vienna and Paris, where he has triumphed in the past.
Musetti is aiming to make his debut at the year-end championships alongside sixth-seeded Ben Shelton. Fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev, fifth-ranked Taylor Fritz and seventh-ranked Alex de Minaur all have experience at the Nitto ATP Finals and are still trying to secure their spots in Turin.
De Minaur made his debut a year ago and is trying to return to the Inalpi Arena. The Australian is in seventh place, but only 60 points ahead of Musetti.
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals. Sinner is the defending champion, while Alcaraz is hunting for his first title at the tournament. Djokovic is the record seven-time season finale champion.
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