Sebastián Báez: On Top of His Game, Climbs to Number 1 in Argentina

Sebastián Báez is living the best moment of his career. The update of the ATP ranking this Monday confirmed the Buenos Aires native – champion on Sunday at the ATP 250 in Santiago de Chile – as number 1 in Argentina, surpassing Francisco Cerúndolowhen located in the place 19, the highest since he turned professional. The ranking continues to be dominated by the Serbian Novak Djokovicfollowed by Spanish Carlos Alcaraz and the Italian Jannik Sinner.

Photo: EFE/ Osvaldo Villarroel

Báez, 23, rose two positions compared to the previous week and had started the season in 28th place. After reaching the 16th finals at the Australian Open, the semifinals in Córdoba, the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires and win in Rio and Santiago, its growth has been unstoppable.

The one born in the Buenos Aires match of San Martín became the twentieth Argentine tennis player in history to reach the Top 20 of the ATP ranking. He is the one who achieved the most victories in the year (16), so he is placed fifth in the Race 2024, which classifies the ATP Finals.

He added 1000 points in three months and has ahead of him Alexander Zverev (1235 pts, semi-finalist at the Australian Open and the ATP 250 in Los Cabos); Alex de Minaur (1295 pts, champion in Acapulco and finalist in Rotterdam); Daniil Medvedev (1500 pts, finalist in the Australian Open and semi-finalist in the ATP 500 in Dubai; and Jannik Sinner (2500 pts, Oceania Grand Slam champion and in Rotterdam).

Báez never participated in this competition but he was in the 2021 Next-Gen Finals (tournament for the best Under 21s on the circuit), where he was a semifinalist after surpassing the group he shared with Lorenzo Musetti, Sebastian Korda y Hugo Gaston. There he was defeated by the champion of that edition: Carlos Alcaraz.

The last Argentine to compete in the ATP Finals was Diego Schwartzman in 2020 (eliminated in the group stage), while previously this tournament was played by David Nalbandian (historic champion in 2005), Juan Martin del Potro, Guillermo Coria, Gaston Gaudio y Guillermo Vilas.

The list of Argentines within the Top 100 is then completed by Cerúndolo (22, -2), Tomás Martín Etcheverry (30, -3), Facundo Díaz Acosta (52), Mariano Navone (59, +1), Pedro Cachín (79, -1), Federico Coria (90, -2) y Thiago Tirante (97, +3).

The other jump in the ranking was that of the French Ugo Humbertchampion in Dubai this weekend and before in Marseille, to finish fourteenth, climbing four steps, and at 25 years old he is closer than ever to the Top Ten.

Rublev’s revenge: the points and silver were returned to him

At the top of the table, the three on the podium are followed by the Russians Medvedev and Andrey Rublevthe German Alexander Zverevthe danish Holger Rune and the polish Hubert Hurkacz.

Climb two steps, to the ninth, the Norwegian Casper Ruud and down one, to tenth, the Australian Alex de Miñaur.

Rublev’s case is particular, because he appealed to the ATP after his disqualification in the ATP 500 in Dubai and obtained the return of the money for reaching the semifinals ($157,000) and the points, but they imposed a fine of $36,000 on him.

The episode occurred during the duel against Alexander Bublikin which they had played a tiebreak in the first two sets at a high intensity and everything indicated that they were going to a new tiebreak, when a ball from Rublev went long and he put his rival ahead 6-5.

The clock showed two hours and 26 minutes of play. A delight for the public. However, everything was going to end in a matter of seconds, with a sad outcome. As a result of the tension of the moment, perhaps also a victim of his strong character, the Russian exploded against one of the linesmen and was disqualified “for unsportsmanlike conduct.”

What happened was that another of those present, very close to the scene, understood that Rublev shouted at him “idiot” the linesman in Russian. The player defended himself by saying that he never said that. “I was speaking to him in English,” he repeated over and over again to Rolan Herfel, an ATP supervisor who came down to the court accompanied by a translator. The decision had already been made.

In any case, given the rigor of these times, it is not necessary to know what he said to understand that disqualification was the only possible way out. German umpire Miriam Bley acted correctly in deciding to disqualify him.

Djokovic, hunting for another Federer record

There is an upcoming record waiting Novak Djokovic. You don’t need much to get it, too. Just let time pass, about five weeks, to surpass the Swiss Roger Federer as the oldest number 1 in history.

The Swiss, retired in 2022, reached the top for the last time on June 24, 2018 and became the best ranked with 36 years and 320 days.

Photo: Glyn KIRK / AFP

However, the mark that seemed unbeatable and that was going to remain forever in the power of His Majesty is about to be surpassed. It is that Djokovic, with 36 years and 287 daysis just less than five weeks away from surpassing this milestone.

The little more than 1000 points of difference that the Serbian has over Alcaraz should not be a problem, because the Spaniard defends a Masters 1000 title (Indian Wells) and the semifinals of another (Miami), while ‘Nole’ did not compete in any of both during 2023 so everything would be profit.

2024-03-04 14:50:06
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