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Match details
Fixture: (2) Diego Schwartzman vs Jaume Munar.
Date: 10 February, 2022.
Tournament: Argentina Open.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Outdoor claycourt.
Prize money: $686,700.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Diego Schwartzman vs Jaume Munar preview
Second seed Diego Schwartzman will square off against Spain's Jaume Munar in the second round of the 2022 Argentina Open on Thursday.
Schwartzman is coming off a semi-final showing at the Cordoba Open last week. He was the favorite to win the tournament but was upset by qualifier Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets.
Prior to the South American clay swing, Schwartzman's campaign in Australia didn't go according to plan either. He was upset by Christopher O'Connell in the second round of the season's first Grand Slam. In the ATP Cup, he won two of three group matches, but one of them was against Nikoloz Basilashvili who is going through a rough patch and remains winless in 2022.
As the defending champion in Buenos Aires, Schwartzman will be eager to put up an improved performance and get his season back on track.
Jaume Munar kicked off his 2022 Argentina Open campaign with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Munar made a strong start to the season by reaching the quarterfinals of the Melbourne Summer Set but lost in the second round of the Adelaide International the following week.
The Spaniard fought hard at the Australian Open, but lost in the first round to Aslan Karatsev in a thrilling five-set contest. At last week's Cordoba Open, Munar made a second-round exit after losing to Daniel Elahi Galan. The Spaniard will be keen to end his string of early losses with a deep run in Buenos Aires.
Diego Schwartzman vs Jaume Munar head-to-head
The two have played each other thrice before, with Schwartzman winning every time to lead the head-to-head 3-0. He won their most recent encounter at last year's Argentina Open in straight sets.
Diego Schwartzman vs Jaume Munar prediction
Schwartzman is the favorite on paper to win this clash, but his last two losses have come against players ranked considerably lower than him. Munar, who's currently ranked 90th, could well pull off an upset given the Argentinian's current form. This will be a rematch of their quarterfinal showdown in Buenos Aires last year, in which the World No. 15 won 6-2, 7-5 en route to the title.
Schwartzman has been quite inconsistent this year, losing to players he would normally beat. As the defending champion though, he should be inspired to raise his level. He made a similar start to the 2021 season, with average results at the ATP Cup, Australian Open and Cordoba Open before winning the Argentina Open. Perhaps history will repeat itself.
Both players are extremely comfortable on clay, so neither has a big advantage in that aspect. Munar has nothing to lose and if he plays well he has every chance of notching up his first win in this rivalry. Schwartzman hasn't been at his best so far this season but given his record against the Spaniard, he should be able to make it through to the next round.
Prediction: Diego Schwartzman to win in three sets.
