Estoril Open 2023: Baez vs Albot Tennis Prediction, Odds & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Estoril Open first-round match featuring Sebastian Baez vs Radu Albot on Monday, April 3, 2023.

Baez vs Albot Match Preview

Fifth seed Sebastian Baez begins the defense of his Estoril Open crown against Moldova’s Radu Albot. Who will advance into the second round?

Wins were in short supply in the second half of last season for Sebastian Baez. And it looked like the Argentine was going to fade out of the limelight for good when his 2023 kicked off in a similar way. But a return to the Golden Swing in February and Baez has been a rejuvenated player. A title win on home turf in Cordoba put the discussion to bed, and the 22-year-old former Next Gen star is on the verge of a top-30 breakthrough. He’ll need to defend his Estoril Open title though to do so, starting with a first-round match against Radu Albot.

Radu Albot is a solid campaigner, but he is past his prime on the main stage, at least on the clay. He’s won a few Challengers on the dirt in his career, but nothing noteworthy on the ATP Tour. but that doesn’t diminish the great things he has done throughout his career, such as being Moldova’s most prominent tennis player of all time. He remains the only male player from his country to win an ATP title.

Baez vs Albot Prediction and Pick

Sebastian Baez and Radu Albot have not played before, with this first-round match at the Estoril Open being their first meeting. Baez enters this match as the colossal favorite and we can’t see him having any trouble in dismissing the Moldovan No. 1. Expect the Argentine’s title defense to start with a bang.