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Match Details
Fixture: (12) Taylor Fritz vs (18) Sebastian Baez
Date: April 28, 2024
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: La Caja Majica, Madrid, Spain
Category: Masters 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €7,877,020
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+
Taylor Fritz vs Sebastian Baez preview
Top 20 players Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Baez clash in the third round of the 2024 Madrid Open on Sunday.
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Fritz advanced to the second round courtesy of a bye, where he faced Luciano Darderi. Neither player broke serve in the first set, which led to a tie-break.
Fritz outplayed Darderi to draw first blood. The latter put up more of a fight in the second set, but the American subdued him for a 7-6 (1), 6-4 win.
Baez, meanwhile, was the recipient of a first-round bye as well, after which he took on Luca Van Assche. The Argentine was off to a quick start, surging ahead 4-1.
Van Assche tried to catch up and went on a two-game run, but it wasn't enough, as Baez had enough of a cushion to claim the set. The latter was in front in the second set as well and served for it but failed to wrap up proceedings.
Van Assche took the set to a tie-break and came out on top to force a decider. Just when it looked like he would run away with the match, Baez rallied from 3-1 down in the final set for a 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-3 win.
Taylor Fritz vs Sebastian Baez head-to-head
Fritz leads Baez 4-0 in the head-to-head. He won their most recent encounter at the 2024 Indian Wells Masters in straight sets.
Taylor Fritz vs Sebastian Baez odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Taylor Fritz vs Sebastian Baez prediction
Baez snapped his four-match losing streak and secured his first win on European clay after sneaking past Van Assche. He won two titles on the surface in February but didn't play like a top claycourt player the past few weeks.
Fritz, meanwhile, arrived in Madrid after a runner-up finish at the BMW Open, his first at a tournament on clay. He maintained his level during his win over Darderi to reach the third round for the second straight year.
Fritz has dominated his rivalry with Baez. He has won all four of their matches in straight sets and hasn't lost more than five games per match. The Argentine could make this is a competitive encounter, as it's on clay, if he raises his level.
Baez's form from earlier this year has gone up in smoke. He will need to put his best foot forward if he wants to notch up his first win in this rivalry. However, based on how they've played so far, Fritz has a good shot to continue his run in Madrid.
Pick: Fritz to win in three sets
