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Etcheverry claims his place in Barcelona

The Argentine will look for a place in the semifinals

April 18, 2024

Tomás Martín Etcheverry connects a right in Barcelona.
By ATPTour.com/es Staff

Tomás Martín Etcheverry has an authority to protect on clay and the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell seems like a great canvas. The Argentine climbed this Thursday to the quarterfinals of the Catalan ATP 500, unleashing the power of his forehand to astonish the audience. With the appearance of a modern player, clearly aggressive tennis and the freshness of his youth in every shot, the South American is already one of the sensations of the week in Barcelona.

The man from La Plata defeated American Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, conquering one of the battles of the week in Barcelona. Although his style introduced a dizzying pace to the matches, Etcheverry gritted his teeth like never before, accepting the demand of a hard duel that he ended up taking in three hours and 11 minutes of effort. If clay requires extreme wear and tear, the Argentine was there to face it.

“I played very aggressive, great tennis. Beyond the fact that it was a game that was defined in one or two balls,” Etcheverry acknowledged, satisfied after adding one of the toughest victories of the year. “I am super happy because I was looking for this level and it is appearing. “I feel happy to be playing this way in this important tournament.”

The recovery of his tennis responds to a very clear reason. Last February, on the clay of Buenos Aires, the Argentine suffered a tear in the semimembranosus muscle, essential for movement on the court. The player from La Plata had to abandon one of the most special tournaments of the year and saw a progression that already had him on the verge of the World Top 25 interrupted for the first time in his career.

“I had a fairly important misfortune where it was difficult for me mentally to get ahead,” explained Tomás Martín, who had to give up the ATP Masters 1000 in Indian Wells to face rehabilitation with margin. “But I think it’s part of this sport, it’s part of tennis to get injured and come back stronger. We worked a lot with my team to come back stronger and improve many things that remain to be improved,” explained the Argentine, who was satisfied with the flight that his forehand and his serve are achieving.

That fortitude to face the curves will be necessary in a clay court season where many eyes will be focused on his movements. The Argentine, who a year ago was a brand new quarterfinalist at Roland Garros, continues to hone his skills with unlimited ambition. After reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in a clay ATP 500, with the decisive rounds already within reach, Etcheverry had the illusion of looking at the noble area of ​​the locker room.

“This year I want to be in the Top 20, I would like to finish on that scale,” acknowledged Tomás Martín, who in February reached his personal ceiling as No. 27 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “Long term, Top 10 obviously.”

In his attempt to underline authority on the surface, Etcheverry will face a litmus test in Barcelona. The Argentine will play the quarterfinals against the British Cameron Norrie, one of the most experienced profiles in the main draw. The former world No. 8, who lifted his biggest trophy on the clay of Rio de Janeiro a year ago, promises one of the most attractive duels on Friday for a ticket to the semifinals.

The Briton leads the Lexus ATP Head2Head 1-0 over the Argentine, whom he defeated last season on the clay of Buenos Aires. Norrie advanced to the quarterfinals this Thursday after beating local veteran Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-3.

Did you know…?
Tomas Martín Etcheverry aspires to become the third Argentine champion in the history of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. The player from La Plata, who has already achieved the best performance of his career in the Conde de Godó Trophy, can follow in the footsteps of his compatriots Martín Jaite (1987) and Gastón Gaudio (2002) on the clay of Barcelona. The last Argentine finalist in Barcelona was Guillermo Cañas in the 2007 season.