Jarry Journeys Home To Santiago; Musetti & Schwartzman Hungry For Season Turnaround

Following a deep run in Rio de Janeiro, Nicolas Jarry is set to return to home soil and rock the house at this week’s ATP 250 event in Santiago, where he could meet fourth seed Diego Schwartzman in the second round.

Jarry’s aunt, Catalina Fillol, is the tournament director of the 2023 Movistar Chile Open, where Lorenzo Musetti, Francisco Cerundolo, and Sebastian Baez are also in action during the final week of the ‘Golden Swing’.

The Chilean Jarry earned a special exemption into his home tournament as he was still alive in the Rio de Janeiro semi-finals when the draw was made. The 27-year-old pushed World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz to three sets in the Rio semi-finals. Returning to the Top 100 for the first time since the Pepperstone ATP Rankings froze due to COVID-19 in March 2020, Jarry is set to pass countryman Cristian Garin as the Chilean No. 1 on Monday—just in time for his home tournament. He will open against Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas, who was a semi-finalist last week in Buenos Aires.

Top seed Musetti, who is at a career-high 18 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is hoping to end his slow start to the year with a deep run on the Chilean clay. The 20-year-old will face wild card Alejandro Tabilo or Jaume Munar in the first round and is seeded to meet Schwartzman in the final four.

In intriguing opening-round action, wild cards Dominic Thiem and 2021 champion Garin will face off, with the winner drawing an encounter against third seed Baez. Rio de Janeiro semi-finalist Bernabe Zapata Miralles will face countryman Roberto Carballes Baena in their third meeting of 2023 (Pune, Cordoba). The Spaniards split their first two encounters of the season, with Zapata Miralles claiming the most recent one in Argentina.

Four Argentines are included in the bottom half of the draw and should the seedings hold, Cordoba champion Baez would face countryman Cerundolo in the semi-finals. Baez, 22, was a finalist in 2022 at the Movistar Chile Open.

After claiming his maiden tour-level title this past year in Santiago, Pedro Martinez will open his title defence against a qualifier.