On Tuesday, the first round of the 2023 Rio Open will feature Cristian Garin of Chile, the world's 100th-ranked player, and Pedro Martinez of Spain, ranked 73rd in the world.
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Garin, who has five ATP titles to his name, all of which he has won on clay, is not accustomed to his current low ranking, but that is due to his poor play in the second half of last season as well as the fact that he did not receive the points he would have received for making it to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon the previous year. Thus, the Chilean has a great chance to make up time and points during the South American swing. After defeating Martinez to start his Cordoba campaign, he struggled against the world number 142 Joao Sousa of Portugal in the second round. Sousa got off to a stronger start and won the opening set. The Portuguese won in straight sets after Garin went up a break in the second set and had a set point, but he let it slip.
Martinez will be anticipating his trip to Chile, where he is the defending champion, next week. Despite the fact that clay is his preferred surface, he hasn’t had any luck there this year. He hasn’t won on the ATP tour since reaching the quarterfinals in Pune. His losing streak started in Melbourne when Hubert Hurkarcz defeated him in the opening round of the Australian Open in straight sets. Then, in Cordoba, in the most recent episode of his conflict with Garin, he lost the first set on a tie-break before recovering to win the second. But, the Chilean easily defeated him in the third set. Pedro Martinez may be favoured because he is the player with the higher ranking, but Chilean has the advantage of recent history as well. He will aim to continue his winning streak against the Spanish since he must resume his ascent up the rankings.
| Pedro Martinez vs Cristian Garin | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | February 21, 2023 |
| Surface | Clay |
| Tournament | Rio Open |
| Stage | First round |
| Time (India) | 01:00 am |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Zapata Miralles | 1-6, 6-3, 4-6 (L) |
| Cristian Garin | 7-6, 2-6, 0-6 (L) |
| Hubert Hurkacz | 6-7, 2-6, 2-6 (L) |
| Aslan Karatsev | 1-6, 2-6 (L) |
| Sebastian Baez | 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 (W) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Joao Sousa | 5-7, 6-7 (L) |
| Pedro Martinez | 7-6, 2-6, 6-0 (W) |
| Alexander Bublik | 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 (W) |
| Tomifey Skatov | 1-6, 3-6 (L) |
| Sebastian Korda | 4-6, 6-1, 3-6, 2-6 (L) |
The two have faced off against one another four times, with Garin holding a four-to-one advantage in the head-to-head series. In 2021, on the grass at Wimbledon and the clay at Bastad, he prevailed in both of their matches. Martinez triumphed at the Miami Masters two months after the Chilean did at the Australian Open last year. Garin prevailed in three sets in their most recent match, which took place in Cordoba two weeks ago.
Pedro Martinez and Cristian Garin will take on each other in the first round of the 2023 ATP Rio Open on February 21.
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