Argentines on the pitch: Báez’s triumph in Mallorca and Cerúndolo’s fall in Eastbourne

Sebastián Báez celebrated his first official grass win by winning the debut of the ATP 250 of Mallorca to the Australian jordan thompson. The 21 year old from Buenos Aires and 36th in the world, won 6-3 and 6-4 against a rival who came from qualy, but with much more experience and recent shots on that surface, which gave more value to the triumph than him, especially ahead of Wimbledon.

Is that the oceanic, 68th in the standings, played his (so far) only final at the ATP level on grass (it was 2019 in s-Hertogembosch) and had just signed good performances in two challengers on this type of field: he won in Surbiton just over 15 days ago and reached the final in Nottingham the following week.

Báez, on the other hand, had only played one game on grass in his entire career: in the first round of Wimbledon last year, in which he lost to Matthew Ebden.

But the Argentinian, who this year won his first ATP title in Estoril, has already shown on more than one occasion that adapting his tennis to different surfaces doesn’t cost him much (he was astounding on the New generation masters last year, when he was semi-finalist with little experience on hardcourt) and against Thompson he affirmed his great present.

He was very solid with his serve (he won 30 of the 34 points played with the first and 10 out of 14 with the second) and made two of the four break points he had, to seal the victory without too many problems, in an hour and six minutes of play.

Báez – who will play the main draw at Wimbledon for the first time next week, where he will be the 32nd seeded – will face the German this Wednesday (not before 9:30 in Argentina) Daniel Altmayer64th in the standings, who defeated the Serbian 7-5 and 7-6 (7-2) Dusan Lajovic.

The Buenos Aires native, one of the greatest talents of the new generation of national tennis, is the only Argentine who is still competing in Mallorca. On Monday, Federico Delbonis said goodbye to his debut, falling 6-3 and 7-6 (7-3) against the Swiss Antonino Bellierfrom the ranking.

The Spanish tournament, which distributes € 886,500 in prize money, sees among the favorites the Russian Daniil Medvedev, number one in the world, and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, sixth in the standings.

Cerúndolo, eliminated at Eastbourne

In the Eastbourne ATP 250, another of London’s Grand Slam preparation competitions, there were no Argentine celebrations this Tuesday. Because Francisco Cerúndolo was eliminated in the first round by the American tommy paolo35th in the standings, who beat him 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) and 6-4 in two hours and 38 minutes of play.

The porteño, 42nd in the world, played his first tournament on grass last week at Queen’s, in which he beat the Spaniard on his debut Pietro Martinez (49th) and lost in the round of 16 against the English Ryan Peniston (180 °). Now he will go to London, where he will play the main draw at Wimbledon for the first time, having missed last year in the final qualifying round.

Diego Schwartzman, the other Argentine present in the race, will make his debut on Wednesday in the round of 16. The 15th in the world and the fourth favorite went out in the initial round and will clash – not before 11:30 in our country – with the club Jack Draper108th in the standings, 20 years old and one of the guests of the organization.

The smallwho has just lost in the first round of Queen’s to the American Sam Querrey (121st), wants to increase the pace on a surface where he does not feel completely comfortable to reach the English Major in the best way, in which he will start from 12th preferred.