It’s quarterfinal day at the ATP Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, where the second clay-court tournament of the season is up for grabs. Top seed Carlos Alcaraz will play Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic in the most anticipated match of the day. Who will reach the semifinals in Buenos Aires?
ATP Buenos Aires Quarterfinal Predictions
Cameron Norrie vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Head-to-head: first meeting
As Norrie found out in his opening match, you are never safe playing an Argentine on home soil regardless of where they sit in the rankings. The crowd got under Norrie’s skin and it almost felt like he was handicapped from winning points against wild card Facundo Diaz Acosta who stood within two points of the upset.
Norrie dug deep and his point construction got better as the match went on before he prevailed in three. This is another test for the second seed. Etcheverry might just be as consistent as the Briton from the baseline by tracking down as many balls. But Norrie is a better serve and a more creative shotmaker and should be heavily favored to progress.
Prediction: Norrie in 2
Lorenzo Musetti vs Juan Pablo Varillas
Head-to-head: first meeting
Thiem might not be the player he once was, but Varillas earned the sort of victory to make his name off. He has been knocking at that door for the last six months, losing in five sets to Auger-Aliassime at last year’s French Open, and then to Alexander Zverev at last month’s month Australian Open also in five. He hasn’t dropped a set in four matches coming from Qualifying.
Musetti has shaken off that shoulder injury he picked up in Australia, taking some time off to recover from any niggles, and refocusing for a productive February. And it was a wise decision as he romped to a straight-sets win over Pedro Cachin. Varillas has the potential to give any player a game on this surface and Musetti will not be treating this match lightly. Still, the Italian’s full repertoire should be sufficient to win this match.
Prediction: Musetti in 2
Bernabe Zapata Miralles vs Francisco Cerundolo
Head-to-head: first meeting
Zapata Miralles is not popular for his craft but makes it up with grit and grinding points on the clay. He eased past Schwartzman in the last round to reach his first quarterfinal since July. But could he go even further in Buenos Aires? Highly unlikely. Francisco Cerundolo is Argentina’s top-ranked player having overtaken Diego Schwartzman in the rankings. It is a justifiable reward for the shift he put in in 2022 coupled with his compatriot’s big fall from grace.
And Cerundolo played like a top player in his straight-sets dismissal of Jaume Munar, dropping just three games. Fears of a recurrence of the hamstring injury he picked up last week have been put to bed. He is very mobile and is mixing it up with some incredible drop shots. The world #30 is poised to keep Argentina’s flag flying high on home turf.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 2
Carlos Alcaraz vs Dusan Lajovic
Head-to-head: Alcaraz 1-0 Lajovic
Alcaraz won his return to action after a near four-month injury layoff. But he was given a tough bout by Laslo Djere, who was entangled in a series of baseline exchanges with the young Spaniard and still found a way to win points. As soon as Alcaraz moved through the gears though, Djere couldn’t live with him. A similar fate awaits Dusan Lajovic in the quarterfinal.
The 32-year-old has found his footing on clay after a winless start to the season in Australia. In spite of the lopsided scoreline in his second-round match against Ugo Carabelli, Lajovic was required to summon his best tennis to keep the Argentine at bay in a highly entertaining match featuring some breathtaking rallies. It could potentially be another three-setter as Alcaraz continues to iron the kinks, but we expect the top seed to have a significant edge in the crucial moments just like in his opening match.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 3
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran USAToday
