By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday July 16, 2022
Sebastian Baez and Francisco Cerundolo have a lot in common these days. Aside from the obvious – they are both Buenos Aires natives – they are also following the same path to the top of the men’s game.
Both have come from outside the Top-100 at the start of the season to well inside the Top-50, both earned their first Top-10 wins this week in Bastad, and both will be bidding for the title on Sunday at the Nordea Open in a week that has seen them take out the tournament’s top two seeds via tag team method.
Baez, who knocked off second-seeded Andrey Rublev on Saturday, 6-2, 6-4, will bid for his second title of the season. He won the trophy at Estoril early this season, and also reached the final at Santiago. He had a mere three ATP wins to his name before 2022, but improved his record to 25-16 on the year with his win over the Russia.
Cerundolo had five wins to his name prior to the start of the season and on Saturday he notched his 16th of the year with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph over fourth-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain.
Cerundolo, who defeated top-seeded Casper Ruud, the world No.5, in the second round, will bid for his first ATP title on Sunday.
No matter what happens, the winner will be from Argentina, and both will have a lot to be prod of.