Given their level of play heading into the Golden Swing, it is no surprise that Luciano Darderi and Sebastian Baez are squaring off for the second time at the business end of a February tournament. This time around they are battling on Saturday for a place in the Chile Open final.
The head-to-head series is all tied up at 4-4, but Darderi has won their last three meetings — 6-0, 6-2 in the Bastad final last summer, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the recent Australian Open, and 7-6(2), 6-1 earlier this month on the red clay of Buenos Aires.
Given those results in addition to Darderi’s scorching-hot form dating back to last season, he should once again have the edge in this matchup. He is 19-2 in his last 21 clay-court matches, a stretch that includes two ATP titles and one triumph on the Challenger Tour.
Pick: Darderi in 3