Báez gets strong and wants to fly high in Rome | ATP Tour

Sebastian Bez

Báez gets strong and wants to fly high in Rome

The Argentine is in the third round

May 11, 2024

Sebastián Báez smiles and does something unusual for him on the Tour. It is the breath of the passionate Roman public. that he ended up chanting Ole, Ole, Ole, Seba, Seba, they made the Argentine go to greet a group of fans, take off his shirt and give it to them in gratitude.

The Internazionali BNL d’Italia managed to win a tight match 7-6 (3) and 7-6 (6) in two hours and eleven minutes of play to beat the Serbian Dusan Lajovic and get a ticket to the third round in Rome .

In fact, Báez was down 5-3 in both sets with the Serbian serving to take both sets, although he was unable to do so. However, the Argentine managed to react in time at the right moments, going for the match and hit the last of his 19 winners with a forehand winner to achieve an important victory.

Now the Argentine leads the Lexus ATP Head2Head against Lajovic 2-1. The No. 17 seed’s next step will be a duel against the winner of the local Luca Nardi or the Dane Holger Rune.

Meanwhile, at the close of the day Felix Auger-Aliassime reached an important milestone with a spectacular comeback in the second set on Saturday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The 23-year-old Canadian came back from a double break down in the second set to beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-1, 7-6 (6) in Rome for victory No. 200 of his career.

Auger-Alissime is the second ATP Tour star born in the 2000s to reach 200 victories, after 22-year-old Jannik Sinner.

Players with the most wins born in the 2000s

Auger-Aliassime will next face Alex de Minaur at the Foro Italico. De Minaur, who beat Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3 and 6-2 in his first match of the tournament. Also on Saturday afternoon, Stefanos Tsitsipas did his best to avoid his second consecutive early exit at a Masters 1000. The sixth seed beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7(1), 6-4, 6- 4 and qualified for the second round.

The Greek’s next rival in Rome will be Cameron Norrie, who got rid of Jaume Munar 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Tsitsipas has reached the semifinals in three of his six appearances in the main draw in the Italian capital, where he will compete in the title match in 2022.

The Greek’s next opponent in Rome will be Cameron Norrie, who earlier held off Jaume Munar 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Tsitsipas has reached the semi-finals on three of his six main-draw appearances in the Italian capital, where he went on to contest the championship match in 2022.