Tennis: Sebastian Baez topples Francisco Cerundolo to enter final in Rio
Fifth-seeded Argentine Sebastian Baez beat his compatriot Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets on Saturday to reach the final of the Rio Open.
Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman has won his second ATP tour title by defeating Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-3 in the Rio Open final here.
Schwartzman hit 15 winners and 15 unforced errors, securing the biggest victory of his career so far in the ATP 500 clay court event at the Jockey Club Brasileiro, reports Xinhua news agency.
“This title is for my family, my friends and my aunt who is having a hard time,” said Schwartzman, who is guaranteed to break into the world’s top 20 for the first time this week.
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Verdasco broke Schwartzman’s serve in the first game before unravelling with a series of unforced errors.
Schwartzman breezed through the first set but encountered resistance early in the second, saving five break points. The 25-year-old broke Verdasco in the next game and didn’t look back.
Verdasco, who won the doubles title with compatriot David Marrero on Saturday, refused to blame fatigue despite playing 11 matches in seven days.
“Diego played amazingly during the week. You deserve the title,” the 34-year-old said. “It was a special week for me, I really wanted to come to Rio. It was almost a perfect week.”
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