5th seed Francisco Cerundolo locks horns with Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Argentina Open on Friday.
The Argentine star has managed to reach back-to-back quarterfinals. He came into the tournament after pulling out during the quarter-final encounter against Federico Coria in the Cordoba Open.
Cerundolo began his campaign in the Argentina Open with a hard-fought win against Yannick Hanfmann in three sets 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. The 24-year-old managed to convert only 5 out of 17 break points in the pulsating encounter. In the round of 16, Cerundolo played a near-perfect match as he annihilated Jaume Munar in straight sets 6-2, 6-1. The conversion rate on break points improved as 5 were converted out of 12 opportunities. However, there is still room for improvement.
Like Cerundolo, Zapata Miralles also took part in the Cordoba Open before playing in the Argentina Open. He lost to Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera in the round of 16.
In the round of 32 of the Argentina Open, Zapata Miralles defeated compatriot Pedro Martinez in three sets 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in an exciting contest. The 26-year-old went on to outplay 4th seed Diego Schwartzman in the round of 16. The Spaniard won the match in straight sets 6-1, 6-3. Converting break points has also been an area of concern for Zapata Miralles. In the two matches, he managed to convert a total of 17 out of 35 break points.
The two players will be facing each other for the first time and therefore, the head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 0-0.
Prediction: Francisco Cerundolo to win in three sets.
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