Sebastián Báez and a tennis player’s secrets to joining the elite

There were four full weeks in South America, where the clay court tour produced two clear winners: Argentine tennis in general and Sebastiano Baez In particular. In the first case, because in four tournaments there were three titles and a final for our compatriots. And in the second, because who is there from today the new Argentine number 1 has clearly become the great protagonist of this series consisting of one ATP 500 (Rio de Janeiro) and three ATP 250 (Córdoba, Buenos Aires and Santiago).

Never abandoning the quarterfinals and adding two more stars to his resume allowed Báez not only to put together a nine-match winning streak and win his sixth title in Santiago, winning 3-6, 6-0 and 6 -4 against the Chilean. Alessandro Tabilobut to enter the top 20 for the first time and join an exclusive elite.

Báez worked hard to get where he is. Since he was a child he knew that he would have to live with the limitations of a physique far from that of the great players on the circuit. Like Schwartzman, Báez measures 1.70 meters and this means having the obligation to find his virtues, while most of him find them in other aspects of the game, such as the serve or the power of the shots.

In the final of the Chilean tournament, Báez tipped the balance in his favor in a complex, balanced and irregular match for two fundamental reasons.

The first was the ever-present bond with his bank, which began to be confirmed when at the end of the first set which he ended up losing, Sebastiano Gutierrezhis coach asked him to be hungry to win the match, not to resign himself to simply passing the ball, to propose himself, to be encouraged, to take away time from the opponent by hitting him faster.

And the second was a service where there was clearly a noticeable improvement in recent times. Not only for the aces he made (in the semi-final against the Spaniard Pedro Martínez he connected five and repeated it against Tabilo), but because it is clear that he tries to shoot more with the first, punish the ball more forcefully and thus obtain a good amount of free points with that shot, at the expense of a relatively low percentage that does not exceed 70%.

In the decisive match he started playing a little further back than usual, loading the game onto the opponent’s backhand but without taking the initiative. After losing the opening set, he came back in the second with another energy. And renewed. In the first three matches he made the difference in numbers but also in tennis and everything became easier for him. And in the third, more balanced, even if he was unable to close the serve to make it 5-3 (the Chilean public noticed), he did damage with his driving and broke Tabilo again for the win.

The most awaited and favorable phase of the year for Báez and the rest of the Argentines has passed due to the conditions of the tournaments (slow courts, proximity to home and loved ones and without the best they are not yet at their full strength, like Carlos Alcaraz of Buenos Aires). Aires) and what comes will be more challenging.

The first two Masters 1000 of the year will be played Indian wells It’s inside You love me on concrete and with all floors in boxes. There is something that is vital in tennis to achieve good results: confidence. Báez – above all – and the others have loaded the tank with that virtue. That’s why the excitement is great and you’re open to what’s to come.