Marbella 2021: Pablo Carreno Busta vs Jaume Munar preview, head-to-head & prediction | Andalucia Open

Match details

Fixture: (1) Pablo Carreno Busta vs Jaume Munar

Date: 11 April 2021

Tournament: AnyTech365 Andalucia Open 2021

Round: Final

Venue: Marbella, Spain

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: €408,800

Match timing: Not before 2 pm local time, 5.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport

Pablo Carreno Busta vs Jaume Munar preview

Jaume Munar

Pablo Carreno Busta has been trying hard over the last one year to climb back into the top 10 of the rankings. The Spaniard's determination towards realizing that goal will be tested again on Sunday when he faces countryman Jaume Munar in an all-Spaniard final at Marbella.

Carreno Busta had a shaky start to his 2021 season as he was forced to retire in the third round at the Australian Open. The World No. 15 returned a month later at Dubai but lost to Hungary's Marton Fucsovics in his first match.

Carreno Busta has since steadied the ship with his strong campaign at the 2021 Andalucia Open. He won his first two rounds in relatively straightforward fashion, reaching the semifinals without dropping a set.

But in his last-four encounter against claycourt veteran Albert Ramos-Vinolas, the top seed was on the ropes for the first time in his Marbella campaign. In fact, Ramos-Vinolas even served for the match in the decider.

Carreno Busta dug in and broke his opponent back though, before eventually sealing the victory in a winner-take-all tiebreaker.

Jaume Munar, meanwhile, has had quite a turnaround of fortunes at Marbella. The World No. 95 mostly competes on the ATP Challenger tour, where he has won six titles in 11 final appearances. But he punched above his weight at the start of the Andalucia Open, beating second seed Fabio Fognini for the loss of three games.

Munar then fell behind early in his quarterfinal match against Ilya Ivashka, before coming back to win in three sets. With a maiden tour final in his sights, the World No. 95 played a clean match against teen prodigy Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the championship match.

Pablo Carreno Busta vs Jaume Munar head-to-head

The championship match at Marbella will be the first-ever career meeting between the two Spaniards, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Pablo Carreno Busta vs Jaume Munar prediction

Pablo Carreno Busta is a former top 10 player

Pablo Carreno Busta's journey back to the top echelons of the sport has been steady. After reaching his second-career Major semifinal at last year's US Open, the Spaniard has played with ever-increasing confidence in his game.

Carreno Busta's great positioning and footwork make him an extremely difficult opponent for any player. While he doesn't generate too much power on his groundstrokes, his ability to consistently hit deep makes him a real force on clay.

Jaume Munar, on the other hand, likes to keep the ball in play and wait for his opponents' errors. The 23-year-old has some impressive defensive skills; during his semifinal match against Alcaraz, Munar displayed remarkable agility as he doggedly retrieved everything that the teen threw at him.

That said, Munar might not be able to get away with simply knocking balls back at Carreno Busta, who is a far more experienced player. The 29-year-old has also triumphed on clay in the past, which makes him the favorite to lift the trophy at Marbella.

Prediction: Pablo Carreno Busta to win in straight sets.