Argentina Open 2022: Juan Martin del Potro vs Federico Delbonis preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (6) Federico Delbonis vs Juan Martin del Potro
Date: 8 February 2022
Tournament: Argentina Open
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Buenos Aries, Argentina
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Outdoor claycourt
Prize money: $686,700
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Juan Martin del Potro vs Federico Delbonis preview
Juan Martin del Potro will open his 2022 Argentina Open campaign with a first-round encounter against sixth seed Federico Delbonis on Tuesday.
Del Potro, who last played a competitive match back in 2019, suggested at his pre-tournament presser that he would retire at the end of the South American claycourt swing. Needless to say, the former World No. 3 would be eyeing a solid swansong in front of his fans.
Delbonis, meanwhile, comes into the ATP 250 tournament hoping to move past his slow start to the 2022 season. The Argentine is yet to register a win this year outside of the ATP Cup.
He lost out to Carlos Taberner in his only claycourt match so far, but definitely has the game to turn things around.
Juan Martin del Potro vs Federico Delbonis head-to-head
Juan Martin del Potro leads Federico Delbonis in their current head-to-head by a margin of 1-0. The 33-year-old took home a straight-sets win over Delbonis in their only prior meeting, which came at the 2017 BNP Paribas Open.
Juan Martin del Potro vs Federico Delbonis prediction
When playing at his best, Del Potro's power-packed game can prove too strong for most opponents. That said, a lot will depend on how quickly he can shake off the rust.
Delbonis will look to take advantage of exactly that on Tuesday. The sixth seed enjoys playing long drawn-out baseline rallies, which could be handy in exposing one of the obvious weaknesses in Del Porto's game - his movement.
Delbonis' superior fitness and willingness to slug it out from the baseline makes him a slight favorite in this contest. However, the absence of a major weapon in his arsenal coupled with his poor recent form could give Del Potro something to work with on Tuesday.
Del Potro will need to find a way to keep the points short, and that's where his first serve numbers will play a key role. If he can find his rhythm early on, especially on serve and his lethal forehand wing, Del Potro could well make things interesting in this one.
Prediction: Federico Delbonis to win in three sets.
Also Check Out: Argentina Open 2022 Schedule