Top seeded Diego Schwartzman of Argentina will face unseeded countryman Francisco Cerundolo in the Final of the 2021 Buenos Aires Open ATP event in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The final is scheduled to be played on Sunday March 7th, 2021 at 2:00pm EST. This match looks like a mismatch on paper due to the large gulf in rankings but as we all know, tennis is not played on paper and anything can happen. Will the number one seed claim his first title of the year or can Cerundolo cause the stunning upset?
Diego Schwartzman is currently ranked number nine in the world and has continued his great 2020 form into this new season. He has reached the Final here without dropping a set, with comprehensive wins over Lukas Klein, Jaume Munar and Miomir Kecmanovic in the Semi-Finals. Schwartzman has displayed his usual brand of counter-punching tennis, switching brilliantly between attack and defense and pairing that with his elite movement. Schwartzman loves this surface as it is much harder to hit through him on clay than it is the faster surfaces, making him incredibly tough to beat. He enters this match as the firm favorite, especially since he is playing at home and will be extremely confident in his chances of lifting the title here at home. He played some brilliant tennis in his 6-0, 6-4 demolition of Miomir Kecmanovic and his confidence will be sky-high here.
Francisco Cerundolo is currently ranked a career high #135 in the world and has been having a dream week here in Buenos Aires, reaching his first career ATP Final. This has been an unprecedented few weeks for his family as his brother Juan Manuel won his first title in his first ATP event last week in Cordoba. Francisco surely will have drawn inspiration from that and will be seeking to add a title of his own to the family trophy cabinet. He is a very strong baseline player who is extremely comfortable on clay. His big groundstrokes are sure to cause Schwartzman some discomfort but the number one seed is one of the best defensive players and movers in the world so it will be difficult for Cerundolo to consistantly trouble him from the baseline.
This match will have only one outcome and that is a comprehensive win for Diego Schwartzman. Simply put, he is a much better player than his opponent and I expect him to get through this match with relative ease. Francisco Cerundolo has had a great week here in Buenos Aires but his run will end here. Diego Schwartzman to win.