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Match details
Fixture: (3) Diego Schwartzman vs Pablo Andujar
Date: 18 February 2022
Tournament: Rio Open
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Outdoor claycourt
Prize money: $1,815,115
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Tennis TV
Diego Schwartzman vs Pablo Andujar preview
Third seed Diego Schwartzman will square off against Spain's Pablo Andujar in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Rio Open on Friday.
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After a first-round bye, Schwartzman kicked off his Rio campaign with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Pedro Martinez. Despite the one-sided scoreline, the Argentine was involved in quite a battle, with the first set lasting almost an hour. The Spaniard fought hard, but lacked the consistency to truly trouble the third seed.
After a disappointing campaign in Australia that ended in a second-round exit, Schwartzman has found his groove in the South American claycourt swing.
The World No. 14 reached the semifinals at the Cordoba Open and went a step further in the Argentina Open, where he advanced to the final. He will be hoping to take the final step in Rio and get his hands on the trophy.
Pablo Andujar, meanwhile, outlasted compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 in a thrilling contest that dragged on for more than three hours.
The Spaniard, who defeated Pablo Cuevas in the first round, will be high on confidence after reaching his first quarterfinal of the season.
Andujar started the year by reaching the third round of the Australian Open for the first time. At last week's Argentina Open, he lost in the second round to Federico Delbonis.
Diego Schwartzman vs Pablo Andujar head-to-head
The two have faced each other just once before, with Schwartzman leading 1-0 in the head-to-head. He beat Andujar in three sets at the 2015 Winston-Salem Open.
Diego Schwartzman vs Pablo Andujar prediction
Considering his recent form, Schwartzman will be the favorite to win this encounter. Andujar, however, is more than capable of causing an upset on his favorite surface. He notched up wins over Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem on clay last year, and will be eager to score another upset.
Andujar won just 53% of his first-serve points during his second-round contest and will need to improve those numbers against Schwartzman, who is an excellent returner.
The Argentine has a well-rounded game on clay and his superior movement should tip the scales in his favor. He's been playing with renewed confidence over the last few weeks and it's hard to see him losing to Andujar.
Prediction: Diego Schwartzman to win in straight sets.
Also Check Out: Rio Open Schedule 2022
