Baez, ranked 74th in the ATP world ranking, he used an hour and 45 minutes to beat Rune (88), in a match that captured the attention of some 1,700 people on the central court of the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club.
The Argentine will play his next match against the Italian Lorenzo Sonego (22), who will enter the tournament directly in the round of 16 as the third seed, behind Norwegian Casper Ruud (8) and the premises Diego Schwartzmann (15), who defends the title.
“I’m happy to have won, especially for the people who came to support me. It’s very nice to play at home and feel loved”commented Báez in dialogue with the media once his triumph was consummated.
The Argentine, who starred in a great 2021 by winning six Challengers tournaments, the category that is next in importance to the ATP, performed from low to high against Rune, in a match that was even until the tie break of the first set and then leaned in his favor.
“I started more nervous than I expected beforehand, but I got better as the game went on and I beat a very good rival”analyzed Báez, who had lost to the Dane last year in the initial round of the Chilean ATP in Santiago.
Baez He is going through a very good moment and that was reflected in the recent summons he received to join the Argentine Davis Cup team that will host the Czech Republic in Buenos Aires on March 4 and 5, for the Qualifiers to play the Group Finals. World.
In another game played on court number 2 of the complex located in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo, the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro (104) surprised with his victory over the recent ATP champion from Córdoba, the Catalan Albert Ramos (32), whom he beat 6-3, 6-3.
Before, the platense Tomás Etcheverry was eliminated from the Argentina Open, losing in the initial round against the Spanish Jaume Munar by 6-4 and 6-4.
Etcheverry, Born in La Plata and ranked 127th in the ATP world ranking, he battled for two hours and three minutes before falling to Munar (90) on the central court of the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, before almost 1,000 people who gathered. came to witness the game that opened the second day.
The 22-year-old Argentine, who emerged from the classification, played the first set in an acceptable way but his level was declining, with bad decisions and too many errors in the service. Thus, it was easy prey for Munar, who showed an interesting setback, especially the parallel.
The Spaniard trained in the Rafael Nadal Academy will have another Argentine as his next rival, Diego Schwartzmann (15), second favorite for the title behind the Norwegian Casper Ruud (8).
The “Little” Schwartzmann, who defends the title and will debut directly in the round of 16, beat Munar the three times they met: US Open 2018, Córdoba 2020 and Buenos Aires 2021.
In another game of the initial round played simultaneously on court number 2 of the complex located in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo, the Spanish Roberto Carballes Baena (78) beat the Chilean Nicolás Jarry (145) 7-6 (7- 2) and 6-2.
Carballes Baena will play in the round of 16 with Ruud (8), champion in Buenos Aires in the 2020 edition.
Finally, on court number 3 and in the doubles draw, the couple made up of Tomas Brkic (Bosnia) and Nikola Cacic (Serbia) beat Romain Arneodo (Monaco) and Benoit Paire (France) 6-2 and 6- two.
Source: Ambito
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