For several months, tennis had, for the start of 2024 in Argentina, three weeks marked with red fiber in the almanac with the Davis Cup match against Kazakhstan and the ATP 250 in Córdoba and Buenos Aires. Three unmissable dates. And three competitions to see up close – on TV or live – the best Argentine players. Best program? Difficult.
The first week passed with a major scare in the Rosario Jockey. It is difficult to explain what would have happened if Dmitry Popko kept one of the two match points that he had against Sebastián Báez in the fifth point of a series that should never have reached where he did. However, the Argentine shirt weighs as if it were lead and even more so if it is worn by three tennis players located among the top 30 in the world ranking but with little experience in the Davis Cup. Popko and especially Timofey Skatov were encouraged and were close to giving Argentina one of the toughest (if not the toughest) defeats in their history in the competition.
Now it’s Córdoba’s turn. And the tournament delivered, on its third day, the surprise elimination of Francisco Cerúndolo, his top favorite. It is strange what happens with the Argentine number 1. He started the season with the excellent contribution of Franco Davin to his work team and with enormous expectations of triumphs and rankings. But so far he has only achieved two victories in seven matches, too early eliminations in the four tournaments he played and, above all, a level of tennis that is not consistent with his status as 22nd in the world.
Cerúndolo is not having a good time. He shows his anger on the court against a boy who is very calm on the outside and a whirlwind on the inside, as if suddenly he only knew how to hit the ball hard and nothing else. It is true that a lot of things happened to him in less than three years and perhaps that is overwhelming him when, in addition, he is still adjusting to a high-level circus, to a relentless centrifuge that demands that he be a machine every week.
He has Cerúndolo tennis to recover from and, outside of Córdoba, Buenos Aires will give him a great opportunity to recover. and claim
The Buenos Aires tournament is precisely what will happen from Monday and that’s where the icing on the cake will arrive. With Carlos Alcaraz, who will arrive in Argentina on Sunday, as the great protagonist of a tournament that will be a very good chance for the Argentines. Why? Because unlike what happened in Rosario and what is happening in Córdoba, the weight of favoritism will not be on their shoulders. Before Cerúndolo, Báez and Tomás Etcheverry there will be Alcaraz himself, Cameron Norrie, Arthur Fils, Stan Wawrinka and even Marin Cilic himself, a Grand Slam champion. Without that backpack you always have to bet on an impact. And for a joy in blue and white.
2024-02-08 23:34:12
#Davis #scare #turn #ATP #Córdoba #Buenos #Aires
