Korda cruises past Musetti, semi-final lineup at Next Gen ATP Finals is set
Sebastian Korda rounds out the semi-final lineup in Milan with a straight-set win over Lorenzo Musetti to conclude round-robin competition on Thursday night. Korda will go up against Brandon Nakashima on Friday.
November 9, 2021, MILAN, ITALY: Sebastian Korda of Usa returns the ball during the match against Hugo Gaston of France on the first day of the Next Gen Atp Finals in Milan, Italy, 09 November 2021. The Next Gen Atp Finals runs from 09 November through 13 November || 212275_0003 2021 ATP milan PRESS sport tennis zlast24 zselect Zuma ZUMAPRESS.com zwireservice zworld
Next Gen Finals | Draw | Order of play
The semi-finals of the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals are set after round-robin play wrapped up on Thursday. Sebastian Korda defeated Lorenzo Musetti 4-2, 4-3(4), 4-2 after one hour and seven minutes to book his spot in the last four alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Sebastian Baez, and Brandon Nakashima.
Korda and Alcaraz are the two group winners, so it will be Korda vs. Nakashima in an all-American showdown and Alcaraz vs. Baez on Friday.
Korda lost a grand total of six service points in the entire match against Musetti.
“Great match,” the world No 39 assessed. “I took my chances when I had them, especially on the break points — the deciding points. I’m really happy with the way I played today. The serve was one of the best things for me tonight. I think I returned pretty well, as well. On the big points, especially in the tiebreaker, I played really well and used that momentum throughout the whole match.”
Korda vs. Nakashima for first time
Now an American is guaranteed to be in the championship match on Saturday — either Korda or Nakashima. During the afternoon session on Thursday, Nakashima won a winner-take-all contest against Holger Rune 3-4(3), 4-1, 4-1, 4-3(1).
“It’s fun,” Korda commented. “I’ve never played Brandon. I’ve practiced with a him a bunch. It’s going to be a news experience for me; a new experience for him. Hopefully we both can play some good tennis, put on good show for everyone, and have a good time.”
