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Match Details
Fixture: (5) Jiri Lehecka vs (6) Sebastian Baez
Date: August 26, 2023
Tournament: Winston-Salem Open 2023
Round: Final
Venue: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $760,930
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video | Canada - TSN | Australia - beIN Sports
Jiri Lehecka vs Sebastian Baez preview
Jiri Lehecka and Sebastian Baez will square off in the final of the 2023 Winston-Salem Open on Saturday.
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After a first-round bye, Lehecka needed three sets to get past Mitchell Krueger and Dominik Koepfer. He then took on Max Purcell in the quarterfinals. Neither player got close to a break point in the first set, which then went to a tie-break.
Lehecka trailed 3-1 in it, but later turned the tables on his opponent to come out on top and claim the opener for himself. He gave up an early lead in the second set, but broke Purcell's serve once again to win the match 7-6(4), 6-4.
Lehecka was supposed to face off against third seed and home favorite Sebastian Korda in the semifinals. However, the latter withdrew from the contest due to an injury, sending the Czech directly into the championship round.
Meanwhile, after a first-round bye, Baez dispatched Daniel Elahi Galan and Aleksandar Vukic in three sets to make the last eight. He scored a straight-sets victory over Laslo Djere to set up a semifinal showdown against top seed Borna Coric.
Baez started off by securing a break of serve at the start of the first set to put himself in the lead. He then broke Coric's serve yet again towards the end of the set to take it.
Coric trailed by a break twice in the second set, but fought back to level the score and eventually clinch the set in the tie-break. The final set was also decided by a tie-break, in which Baez gained the upper hand to win 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(2).
Jiri Lehecka vs Sebastian Baez head-to-head
Baez leads Lehecka 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2022 Davis Cup qualifiers in straight sets.
Jiri Lehecka vs Sebastian Baez odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Jiri Lehecka vs Sebastian Baez prediction
Baez's three-set marathon win over Coric was his third match that went the distance this week. He won 71% of his first-serve points in the previous round and hit 21 winners against 10 unforced errors. The Argentine has now reached his sixth career final, but first on hardcourt.
Lehecka got a lucky break to reach his maiden ATP final following Korda's withdrawal. He'll be well rested for the match, while Baez will have a rather short turnaround after battling Coric for more than three hours.
While Lehecka is gunning for his first career title, Baez is more experienced in this regard, having won three already. The Argentine is currently on a nine-match winning streak as well as he's competing here directly after his title-winning run in Kitzbuhel last month.
Baez is more comfortable on clay than hardcourt and prior to competing here, had won just one match on the surface this season. Lehecka's equipped with a better serve and is a powerful ballstriker compared to his opponent.
Baez has momentum on his side, though the conditions do favor Lehecka. If the latter is able to control his nerves, he might be able to secure his first career title.
Pick: Jiri Lehecka to win in three sets.
