Just four players remain in contention at the ATP Cordoba Open. Three of the top four seeds have made into the semifinals, with only second seed and Wimbledon quarterfinalist Guido Pella having lost out so far in Argentina. All four men left standing will surely be desperate to make good on this opportunity by at least advancing to the final at the Cordoba Open. But who will advance and who will fall to defeat?
Cordoba Open Semifinal Predictions
Andrej Martin vs Christian Garin
Head-to-head: Garin 1-1 Martin
Andrej Martin is set to compete in his first tour-level semifinal since 2018, with the Slovakian guaranteed to improve on his career-best ranking of world #98 when the standings are updated on Monday. He will more than deserve that rankings jump after what has been an excellent week, with Martin having beaten Federico Coria, Carlos Taberner and Qatar Open finalist Corentin Moutet without dropping a set.
Cristian Garin, meanwhile, struggled early on in his quarterfinal against Pablo Cuevas, but the Chilean managed to find his rhythm to rally past the veteran Cuevas 1-6 6-3 6-4. And for all that Martin has impressed so far this week, he has yet to face an opponent of Garin’s quality, with the third seed winning two ATP titles on the clay last season. He is superbly accurate off the ground and a fine mover. Expect him to prove too strong for the relatively inexperienced Martin.
Prediction: Garin in 2
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Diego Schwartzman vs Laslo Djere
Head-to-head: Schwartzman 1-0 Djere
Diego Schwartzman won his quarterfinal in dominant fashion, constantly keeping Albert Ramos Vinolas on his heels in a 6-0 7-6 win. Indeed, the scoreline might have been more comprehensive had the Argentine not squandered a number of break points in the second set. That win followed an equally impressive 6-1 7-5 victory over Jaume Munar, who has rather lost his way in recent months. But Schwartzman may find himself in for a sterner test up against Laslo Djere.
The Serbian enjoyed the biggest success of his career to date during the 2019 Golden Swing, winning the Rio Open, and he has recaptured that impressive form in South America a year later. Djere, seeded fourth, opened his campaign with a routine 6-3 6-4 win over Pedro Martinez Portero, but he was taken to the brink in the last eight by defending champion Juan Ignacio Londero, before edging through to the semifinals a 6-7 6-3 7-6 winner.
Djere served aggressively throughout his quarterfinal, landing 14 aces. But he also struck nine double faults which, up against a returner of Schwartzman’s quality, could well prove fatal. Improving on his first-serve percentage will thus be vital. Djere will also have to contend with fatigue after his lengthy quarterfinal. With Schwartzman in fine form and certain to have the vocal support of the crowd, that could prove too great a hurdle for the Serbian.
Prediction: Schwartzman in 2
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