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Defending champion Diego Schwartzman and top seed Casper Ruud will lead the field at the 2022 Argentina Open. The ATP 250 event is scheduled to be played in the capital city of Buenos Aires between 6 to 13 February.
This year's tournament will see former World No. 3 Juan Martin del Potro play his first match in nearly three years. The likes of Fabio Fognini, Lorenzo Sonego and Holger Rune will also be looking to make an impact.
With main draw action set to begin on Monday, here is a look at the prospects of the top names in the fray.
Top half: Casper Ruud and Fabio Fognini on a collission course, Juan Martin del Potro draws Federico Delbonis in the first round
Top seeds: [1] Casper Ruud, [4] Fabio Fognini, [5] Dusan Lajovic, [6] Federico Delbonis
Projected semifinal: Casper Ruud vs Fabio Fognini
Dark horse: Juan Martin del Potro
Top seed Casper Ruud will play his first match since withdrawing from the Australian Open with an ankle injury sustained during a practice session.
The Norwegian has been given a bye in the first round, but could well run into fellow clay-court specialist Roberto Carballés Baena in the second. If the seed holds, Ruud will face Dusan Lajovic in the quarterfinals.
Ruud, when playing at his best, can be extremely hard to get past on the red dirt. But a lot will depend on how well he has managed to recover from injury.
For Fabio Fognini, the path to the semifinal is rather straightforward. The only possible threat in the Italian's quarter is sixth seed Federico Delbonis. The Argentine will open his campaign against compatriot Juan Martin del Potro, who is coming back after a near-three-year-long hiatus caused by a serious knee injury.
The 33-year-old hinted at retirement in his pre-tournament press conference, citing his battle with recurrent injuries. Del Porto will nonetheless hope to go out on a high and definitely has the game to stage an upset or two. His serve and movement will be key in the early rounds.
Prediction: Casper Ruud def. Fabio Fognini
Bottom half: Diego Schwartzman looking to defend his crown
Top seeds: [2] Diego Schwartman, [3] Lorenzo Sonego, [7] Albert Ramos Vinolas, [6] Laslo Djere
Projected semifinal: Diego Schwartzman vs Lorenzo Sonego
Dark horse: Sebastian Baez
Lorenzo Sonego faces a potentially tricky opening match as he will take on the winner of a Next-Gen battle between Holger Rune and Sebastian Baez.
The winner of that second-round contest will fancy their chances of coming through the quarter as only Albert Ramos Vinolas stands in their path to a last-eight spot.
The draw has awarded defending champion Diego Schwartzman plenty of breathing room this year.
The Argentine will open against either Jaume Munar or a qualifier and is likely to have a few opportunities in the early stages to fine tune his game for a bigger test later in the week.
Schwartzman is projected to meet eighth seed Laslo Djere in the quarterfinals, but the Serb will first have to find a way past his countryman Miomir Kecmanovic in a potentially tricky opening-round encounter.
Prediction: Diego Schwartzman def. Lorenzo Sonego
Prediction for the final
Casper Ruud def. Diego Schwartzman
Also Check Out: Argentina Open 2022 Schedule
