INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 15: Diego Schwartzman of Argentina returns a shot to John Isner during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 15, 2022 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Top seed Diego Schwartzman locks horns with compatriot Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the round of 16 of the 2023 Cordoba Open.
The Argentine veteran was supposed to play in the inaugural United Cup to begin the season but an injury forced him to pull out. He returned at the ASB Classic and lost the first set of the first round against Jenson Brooksby. Schwartzman was forced to retire in the second set owing to a thigh injury.
In the Australian Open, Schwartzman entered as the 23rd seed and defeated Oleksii Krutykh in the first round. In the second round, he was comprehensively beaten by J.J. Wolf in straight sets. In the doubles event, Schwartzman teamed up with Federico Coria and lost in the first round against Luke Saville and Alex Bolt.
It has been a whirlwind start to the season for the 21-year-old. Cerundolo has already bagged a couple of Challenger titles this season. He began by bagging a Challenger title in Tigre, Argentina. He followed it up with another title win in Tigre in another tournament. Before coming to play in the Cordoba Open, Cerundolo lost in the quarterfinals of a Challenger event in Concepcion, Chile.
In the Cordoba Open, Cerundolo faced Pablo Andujar in the first round. The Spaniard retired while trailing 4-6, 0-1. This was the 10th win for the Argentine at the ATP level.
Diego Schwartzman and Juan Manuel Cerundolo are yet to face each other. Therefore, the head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 0-0.
Prediction: Diego Schwartzman to win in straight sets.
More Tennis news
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates