Cordoba Open: Coria vs Baez Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Cordoba Open as Federico Coria takes on Sebastian Baez in the final on Sunday, February 12, 2023.

Federico Coria is seeking to win his first ATP title. And historically, the Corodba Open has almost always delivered first-time winners since its inception in 2019. But Coria faces a resurgent countryman Sebastian Baez in an all-Argentinean final. Who will prevail?

Federico Coria has been a menace since he set foot on clay last month. He won the Concepcion Challenger, dropping just one set all week. Coria has kept that run going on home soil, benefitting from a couple of retirement wins along the way to reach his second ATP final at the Cordoba Open. Can he make it count this time when he takes on Sebastian Baez on Sunday?

Sebastian Baez, meanwhile, is back on the clay and it’s no surprise he is finally winning tennis matches. Baez was on a dreadful run of form in the second half of last season, winning once in just 15 matches. It’s a miracle he even retained a top 50 ranking at the end of last season. However, he has got his season back on track at the Cordoba Open, scoring his finest victory of the week when he defeated Bolivian qualifier Hugo Dellien 6-4 6-4.

Federico Coria and Sebastian Baez have not played each other at any level. Sunday’s final at the Cordoba Open will be their first meeting. Coria has been on a fantastic run of form, playing tidy tennis from the baseline and not giving away too many chances on his service games. Baez will need to be aggressive and hope his serve can match up well with that of Coria. The 22-year-old has got his mojo back and it’s nice to see he is finally winning tennis matches again. But Coria’s toughness and tenacity for two weeks now have got him on the cusp of breaking new ground. And we reckon the second time will be the charm for the 30-year-old.