Sebastián Báez is going through another dream week in Estoril, and he wants to close it out in the best possible way. Photo: EFE/EPA/TIAGO PETINGA.
Argentine tennis player Sebastián Báez defeated Spanish Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 6-7 (7) and 6-0 and qualified for the final of the ATP 250 in Estoril, Portugal, where he will seek his first title on the professional circuit.
Báez, who has already taken 44th position in the world rankings and for the first time reached the ATP finals, will face the American this morning in definition Frances Tiafoe (29), who defeated his compatriot Sebastián Korda (37) 4-6, 7-6 (2) and 6-4 in the second semifinal. The Argentine has never played against Tiafoe on the circuit.
Báez, 21, won against Catalan Ramos-Vinolas (31), who is defending the title he won last year in Estoril, in two hours and 35 minutes of play. In this way, the Buenos Aires native defeated the Spaniard for the third time in 2022, as he defeated it in the first round of the Australian Open and in the semifinals of the ATP 250 in Santiago, Chile.
Báez starred in a great week in Portugal with consecutive wins against local Joao Sousa (83), Estoril champion in the 2018 edition, Croatian Marin Cilic (23), former world number three and US Open champion in 2014, and Frenchman Richard Gasquet (80).
“I had chances to close out against the tie break of the second set but my nerves played a bit. Luckily physically, it benefited me to go into the third set and I was able to pull it off , ”Báez told the tournament’s Lusitanian press.
Regarding his rival in the final, the Argentine assured that “everything is difficult at this level and I just really want to play my best”.
The top favorite for the title in the Portuguese event, which is part of the European tour on clay and will distribute prizes of 597,900 euros, is Canadian Félix Auger Aliassime (10), who lost in the quarterfinals to North American Korda.
The second seed is Argentine Diego Schwartzman (15), but on Tuesday he chose to leave the tournament to maintain his physique with a view to the next Masters 1000 in Madrid, which starts tomorrow, and in Rome.
The Argentine champions of the Portugal Open in history are David Nalbandian (2002 and 2006), Juan Ignacio Chela (2004), Gastón Gaudio (2005), Juan Martín Del Potro (2011 and 2012) and Carlos Berlocq (2014).
Source: Clarin
