Cordoba Open: Martinez vs Garin Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Cordoba Open as Pedro Martinez takes on Cristian Garin in the first round on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.

It’s a popcorn opening match at the Cordoba Open as Pedro Martinez plays former champion on the comeback trail Cristian Garin. Who will prevail?

A return to South America will rekindle fond memories for Pedro Martinez. The Spaniard did not have a great start to the Golden Swing last February but still walked away with his maiden ATP title in Santiago. Sometimes, it may not be how you start things, but how you actually finish them. And for Martinez, it was a launchpad to his rise in the world’s Top 50. Martinez will be looking to make a strong start this time at the Cordoba Open as he enters a very important stretch of his season.

Cristian Garin, for his part, was involved in a rollercoaster Davis Cup tie against Kazakhstan. The Chilean surprisingly lost his opening singles rubber to Timofey Skatov on day one, but he flipped the switch on day two as he defeated Kazakhstan’s No. 1 player Alexander Bublik. Chile won the tie 3-1, sending them into the Davis Cup Finals later this year. Now his attention will turn to the Cordoba Open where he will play Pedro Martinez in the first round.

Cristian Garin leads Pedro Martinez 3-1 in their head-to-head ahead of their showdown at the Cordoba Open. Whichever way you look at this match, you know for certain these two players should be ranked higher. Garin had a negative win-loss record on clay last year, a stat that beggars belief. But injuries and lack of form played a huge part in his downfall. He needs some sort of headstart and I think that Davis Cup win over Bulbik at the weekend could just be what the doctor ordered.