It promises to be a great final at the prestigious ATP Rio 500. Clay court specialist Sebastian Baez hopes to win his sixth title on clay, while Muller is one victory away from securing a first on the dirt. Both men are also vying for their first ATP 500 titles. We at LWOT predict the final in this article, but which man do you expect to lift the trophy?
ATP Rio Final Prediction
Sebastian Baez vs Alexandre Muller
Head-to-head: First meeting
Each player navigated some tricky moments to reach the final. Defending champion Baez was pushed to three sets in a repeat of last year’s final against Mariano Navone and by Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the semifinal. Muller, who defeated teenage sensation and last week’s Argentina Open champion Joao Fonseca in the opening round, survived a grueling three-set semifinal against Francisco Comesana.
A key part of this matchup is Muller finding a way to stop Baez from dominating with his forehand. The Argentine is one of the best in the world on clay off that wing and uses his swift footwork to bring it into play regularly. Muller’s best chance of doing that is serving well to give himself a chance to get the first strike in and being brave off second serves by hitting hard and heavy to the Baez backhand.
The Frenchman possesses an excellent backhand. He will give himself a chance if he can make a decent percentage of the rallies backhand-to-backhand battles. However, that is much easier said than done against Baez. His relentless game on clay requires a lot of energy to counter successfully. Muller’s long semifinal could make it challenging to go for three sets against Baez, which might prove necessary to win the final. The defending champion is tipped to outhit and out-grind Muller over three sets.
Prediction: Baez in 3
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch – USA TODAY Sports
