There should be plenty of entertaining tennis on day one at the ATP Buenos Aires Open with five first-round matches on the schedule. As always, we here at LWOT are offering our predictions for every match on the slate. But who will bool their place in the last 16 in the Argentinian capital?
ATP Buenos Aires Day 1 Predictions
Benoit Paire vs Dusan Lajovic
Head-to-head: Paire 2-2 Lajovic
Dusan Lajovic was well-beaten in the second round by Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open, but the Serbian will doubtless be glad to be back on his preferred clay. Benoit Paire, meanwhile, roused himself from his torpor to reach the third round in Melbourne, but played indifferently last time out in Cordoba, losing in the first round to Jaume Munar. Matches between this pair have generally been closely contested and this may also be close. But Lajovic is the better clay-courter of the two and, frankly, the better motivated professional. He should have the edge.
Prediction: Lajovic in 3
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Hugo Dellien vs Fernando Verdasco
Head-to-head: first meeting
Hugo Dellien looked sharp in coming through the qualifying at the ATP Buenos Aires Open, scoring back-to-back straight-sets wins over Alessandro Giannessi and Thiago Seyboth Wild. Fernando Verdasco, meanwhile, is looking to battle back after a lengthy injury layoff and has played a relatively full clay-court schedule so far this season, appearing in Challengers in Blumenau and Santa Cruz before playing in the ATP Cordoba Open on a protected ranking. But he has won only a handful of matches and looks a shadow of the force he once was. Expect Dellien to prove too strong by half.
Prediction: Dellien in 2
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Laslo Djere vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Head-to-head: Kecmanovic 3-1 Djere
This has the makings of an interesting clash between two players who know each other’s style inside out. It is Miomir Kecmanovic who has had the better of their rivalry so far, winning three of the four matches they have played including in the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires last season, although Djere came out on top in five sets when they last met. But Kecmanovic has made a notably better start to this season than his countryman, highlighted by his run to the last 16 in Melbourne, and probably has the higher ceiling of the two as well. That should be reflected in the outcome here.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 3
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Francisco Cerundolo vs Facundo Bagnis
Head-to-head: Cerundolo 1-1 Bagnis
Facundo Bagnis has endured a difficult start to 2022. He beat Andy Murray in a three-set thriller in Melbourne in his first match of the season, but so far that has not proven to be a sign of things to come. In fact, he has not won a match since, losing to Grigor Dimitrov in the second round in Melbourne before suffering first-round defeats in Sydney, at the Australian Open and then in Cordoba. With Francisco Cerundolo particularly at home in these conditions and surely full of confidence after an impressive run through the qualifying, it could be another difficult day for Bagnis.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 2
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Pablo Cuevas vs Federico Coria
Head-to-head: Cuevas 2-1 Coria
Pablo Cuevas is another veteran looking to mount a comeback during this year’s Golden Swing. The Uruguayan, once ranked as high as 19th in the world, now finds himself at world #90 and he is playing on a protected ranking this week. He has been handed a potentially tough assignment on paper to boot up against world #64 and fellow clay-court specialist Federico Coria, who beat him convincingly when they last met. The Argentine has been struggling so far this season and lost in straight-sets to Juan Pablo Ficovich in Cordoba last time out. But Cuevas has not played competitively this season and the Uruguayan’s powers are firmly on the wane.
Prediction: Coria in 3
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