The Buenos Aires Sebastian Baez (95th in the world ranking) today managed to advance to the second round of the Australian Open, which takes place in Melbourne, by beating the Spanish Albert Ramos Viñolas (44th) by 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 1-6 and 6-2, in three hours and 26 minutes of play. The data has a much greater value than the statistical: it is the first triumph of Báez in a Grand Slam tournament. In addition, it is also the first time that he directly accesses the main draw of a tournament of this category. In every way, it was the best win of his promising career.
In the next round, Báez will play against the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (4th), who defeated the Swedish Mikael Ymer (82nd) 6-2, 6-4 and 6-3 in 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Báez, who turned 21 on December 28 and is trained by Sebastián Gutiérrez, had to battle for 3 hours and 26 minutes to win to the experienced Spanish, 34 years old, on court 12 of the complex that hosts the first GS of the season. 79% of successful first services (69% from Ramos Viñolas) and 43 winning shots (against 25 from the rival) were some of the highlights of the Argentine game, which was even in unforced errors (61 vs. 60).
“I am happy that I was able to win today. Ramos was a very complicated opponent with a lot of experience. In the previous one I knew that it was going to be very hard. I am happy to be able to continue in the tournament”, he expressed later, at a press conference. And he added: “I tried to think about what things I had to do, be focused and look at my coach, to be focused in the important moments, in which you have to be brave. I was tired by the intensity of the match, but the key is to control my nerves, that’s what the greatest do: control the tension at key moments”.
Báez thus continues his ascent, after an extraordinary 2021: He began it being 308th in the world and finished it with 98th place in the ranking. In between, he won six titles on the Challenger Tour (the immediate division below the ATP) and reached three other finals, with a total of 44 victories in the category, a record number for an Under 20.
In this way, Báez, debuting in a Grand Slam event, joined as the second Argentine to advance to the round in the ocean open after Diego Schawartzman’s (13th) victory last night against Serbian Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 6 -4 and 7-5, after two hours and 27 minutes of play.
The match summary
The man from Santiago Marco Trungelitti (198th), who had passed the classification, fell today in the first round of the main draw against the American Frances Tiafoe (34th), after two hours and 55 minutes of play, 3-6, 6-4, 6- 2, 3-6 and 6-2. Beyond the farewell, Trungelliti leaves with good feelings from Australia, not only for having won three games (of the qualy) on the Aussie cement and for having complicated a high-class rival like Tiafoe, but also for having been able to compete freely , without the physical discomfort that has complicated it in recent times.
What will Trungelliti’s future look like? He will try to play the ATP 250 in Dallas, starting on February 7, and Delray Beach (in Florida, USA), a week later.
The porteño also said goodbye to the Australian tournament Juan Manuel Cerundolo, 80th in the world and 20 years old, who lost to Czech Tomas Machac (future Argentine rival in the Davis Cup series next March) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. The left-hander, a precocious winner of the Córdoba 2021 ATP, played his first match in a Grand Slam main draw. His next challenge will be at the South American clay court ATPs.
Of the eight Argentine tennis players present in the men’s final draw of the first Grand Slam of the year, only Diego Schwartzman and Báez himself qualified for the second round. Federico Delbonis, Federico Coria, Facundo Bagnis and Tomás Etcheverry had already been eliminated.
