Argentines Baez, Bagnis Reach Santiago QFs

It was a big day for Argentina in neighbouring Chile on Wednesday, with four men bidding to reach the quarter-finals in Santiago. Sebastian Baez and 2021 finalist Facundo Bagnis advanced, the latter beating countryman Juan Ignacio Londero.

Seventh seed Baez opened play at the Chile Dove Men+Care Open with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Londero, eighth seed Bagnis following with a 6-2, 6-2 result against Hugo Dellien.

Baez broke serve seven times in the match and won more than half of his return points against both first and second serves. With 12 games going against serve in total, the match featured more breaks than holds.

“I feel good on the court in this place,” the Buenos Aires native said after the win. “It’s difficult to feel at home, and here in Chile I feel that. That’s something extra for the tournament and for my tennis, and that’s the most important, I think.”

Baez now holds a 24-2 record in Chile at the ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour level since the start of 2021, including three Challenger titles.

The 21-year-old advances to his second quarter-final of 2022 (Cordoba), where he’ll face Monteiro. A former junior world No. 1 and a six-time Challenger champion in 2021, Baez is making his second appearance at the Santiago ATP 250 event after qualifying last year. The Argentine is seeking his first ATP Tour final after rising from outside the Top 300 at the start last season to a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 72 earlier this month.

“It’s a second quarter-final [for me], so it’s a new chance to try to be better,” he previewed. “I think it’s a new opportunity to play with another great player and try to do all my best.”

Third seed Fernando Delbonis was on course to set up an all-Argentine quarter-final against Baez, but could not close out his opening match after taking the first set against Thiago Monteiro. Instead, the 27-year-old Brazilian reached his second quarter-final of the season (Adelaide 2) with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 upset.

Bagnis cruised into the quarter-finals as he rounds into form following a slow start to the season. Winless since his opening match of the year against Andy Murray at the Melbourne Summer Set, the 31-year-old has put together two dominant victories on the Chilean clay.

He’s dropped just seven games in reaching his first ATP Tour quarter-final since a run to the Santiago title match one year ago, when he fell to Chile’s Cristian Garin. After facing no break points in an opening-round win against Spain’s Barnabe Zapata Miralles, Bagnis saved one of two in Wednesday’s win over Bolivia’s Dellien. He next faces second seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas, a 6-2, 7-6(4) winner over compatriot Carlos Taberner in the Santiago nightcap.