Top Seed Schwartzman Eyes Revenge In Tricky Cordoba Draw
There were seven Argentinian players in the Cordoba Open main draw, and all but two have landed in Diego Schwartzman’s half as he learned his tough road to a fourth ATP Tour title on Monday.
Schwartzman, who reached the final here last year, is the top seed at his home tournament. Should he advance through the top quarter, he could face countrymen Guido Pella, the No. 4 seed, or No. 8 seed Federico Delbonis in the semi-finals. Pella, who knocked out Schwartzman in the 2019 quarter-finals here, and Delbonis anchor the second quarter, which also features local wild card Nicolas Kicker.
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The World No. 9 is into the second round with a bye, and could face a rematch of last year’s Cordoba quarter-final with No. 5 seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas landing in the Argentine’s quarter once again. Schwartzman defeated Ramos-Vinolas in a roller-coaster 6-0, 7-6(0) victory to extend his ATP Head2Head dominance over the Spaniard to 5-0.
But before Ramos-Vinolas can think about contesting a third quarter-final in Argentina (also 2019 Buenos Aires) against Schwartzman, he will have to handle another home favourite in the first round. He will begin his Cordoba campaign against Juan Ignacio Londero, who lifted his lone ATP Tour title at the inaugural 2019 edition.
Frenchman Benoit Paire is the No. 2 seed, leading the bottom quarter and eyeing a potential clash with No. 6 seed Dominik Koepfer in the quarter-finals. Two wild cards including former World No. 38 Nicolas Jarry, an ATP Tour titlist from Chile, have also landed in Paire’s quarter.
Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic leads a tricky third quarter as the No. 3 seed in Cordoba, looking for his second ATP Tour title. He could get #NextGenATP Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild in the second round. The 20-year-old is also looking to double his trophy count after winning the 2020 Chile Dove Men+Care Open in Santiago.
No. 7 seed Thiago Monteiro is also in Kecmanovic’s section. The Brazilian is among the players aiming to become Cordoba’s third consecutive South American champion, after Chilean Cristian Garin’s victory in 2020.