The final of the 2023 ATP Chile Open in Santiago will be massive for both remaining title contenders. Nicolas Jarry is seeking to return to where he was before his suspension, and taking the trophy would have him almost back inside the Top 50. Tomas Martin Etcheverry plays his maiden ATP final and will have his eyes on the first title of his career at this level. Who do you think will come out on top?
ATP Santiago Final Prediction
Nicolas Jarry vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Head-to-head: Etcheverry 3-0
Tomas Martin Etcheverry’s Golden Swing had been a bit of a mixed bag before this week. The 23-year-old made the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires, but also hadn’t fully capitalized on what should be his favorite hunting ground on the ATP Tour. Luckily for the Argentinian, he made up for it with a brilliant run in Santiago, including wins over the recent Cordoba champion Sebastian Baez or Francisco Cerundolo.
Nicolas Jarry suddenly hit his peak form after a while, making the semifinals in Rio de Janeiro in brilliant fashion. The Chilean is running on fumes by now, but the roaring local crowd has been instrumental in his success. His last three matches all featured some sort of a comeback–from a break in the 3rd down to Diego Schwartzman, a set down to Yannick Hanfmann, and a set and a break down to Jaume Munar.
These two have met three times over the past two years with Etcheverry claiming all three meetings. The Argentinian was quite comfortable in Campinas two years ago, but their 2022 clashes were much tighter. Especially at 2200m altitude of Mexico City, he somehow fought back from 3-6 2-4 down to claim an exciting thriller. Santiago plays faster than courts at sea-level too, but it’s nowhere near as extreme (about 500m).
With this being Etcheverry’s first ATP Tour final, it’s tough to predict how he’ll handle that pressure. He will be the fresher player though and over the course of the week, he’s the one who produced a stronger level throughout. However, Jarry still has his peaks and was able to find so much will to survive in front of the home crowd. He’ll need to ask questions here and check if Etcheverry can handle the occasion.
Prediction: Etcheverry in 3
