Argentina Open 2022: Diego Schwartzman vs Francisco Cerundolo preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (2) Diego Schwartzman vs (Q) Francisco Cerundolo.
Date: 11 February, 2022.
Tournament: Argentina Open.
Round: Quarterfinal.
Venue: Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Outdoor claycourt.
Prize money: $686,700.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Diego Schwartzman vs Francisco Cerundolo preview
In a rematch of their 2021 final, second seed Diego Schwartzman will take on Francisco Cerundolo in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Argentina Open on Friday.
After a first-round bye, Schwartzman kicked off his title defense with a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) win over Jaume Munar. Both players were evenly matched for the better part of the encounter, but the defending champion raised his level when it mattered. However, there were signs of nerves from the Argentinian as he had trouble closing out the match.
Schwartzman led 6-0 in the second set tie-break, but some errors on his part saw him waste four match points, eventually winning on his fifth opportunity. The World No. 15 has been rather inconsistent this year, so there's some room for improvement moving forward.
Diego delivers 💪
Defending champion @dieschwartzman wins a 7-6(2) 7-6(4) clay-court thriller against Munar to reach the last eight.
#ArgentinaOpen https://t.co/PbUwPq3heS
Meanwhile, Francisco Cerundolo overcame Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals for the second year in a row in Buenos Aires. The 2021 finalist's level dipped in the second set and he started the deciding set by losing his serve in the opening game.
However, Cerundolo regrouped in time and flipped the script in the final set as he broke his opponent's serve thrice to secure victory. After winning two qualifying matches, he defeated compatriot Facundo Bagnis in the first round.
The Argentinian has done a lot of winning this week and he'll be eager to win some more.
Diego Schwartzman vs Francisco Cerundolo head-to-head
The two have played against each other only once so far, with Schwartzman leading 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their only encounter in straight sets in last year's Argentina Open final.
Diego Schwartzman vs Francisco Cerundolo prediction
Both are finalists from last year, but one player's journey to about to end in the quarterfinals this time. Given his ranking and experience, Schwartzman will definitely be the favorite on paper.
However, the defending champion's last two losses have been against players ranked far lower than him, so Cerundolo certainly has a fighting chance here.
Clay-court tennis at its very best 😍
@dieschwartzman #ArgentinaOpen https://t.co/ZfmB95pT82
The duo are quite comfortable on clay, as both of their most significant achievements have been on the surface.
Schwartzman is pretty solid from the baseline and has excellent court coverage, especially on clay. Alternately, Cerundolo has a game suited to the surface as well, but against his more established compatriot, he'll have to up his level considerably.
In last year's final, Schwartzman got the best of Cerundolo quite easily. While it could be a more competitive match this time, the result is likely to remain the same.
Prediction: Diego Schwartzman to win in straight sets.