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Fixture: (1) Carlos Alcaraz vs (3) Nicolas Jarry
Date: February 17, 2024
Tournament: Argentina Open 2024
Round: Semifinal
Venue: Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: $642,615
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+
Carlos Alcaraz vs Nicolas Jarry preview
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will square off against third seed Nicolas Jarry in the semifinals of the 2024 Argentina Open on Saturday.
After a first-round bye, Alcaraz commenced his title defense against qualifier Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the second round. The 20-year-old registered a 6-2, 7-5 win to march into the quarterfinals, where Andrea Vavassori awaited him.
The first set was a close affair as neither player could break the other's serve. Alcaraz outplayed Vavassori in the tie-break to capture the opener. The second set was a blowout as the Spaniard dropped just one game in it to win the match 7-6 (1), 6-1.
Jarry received a bye into the second round, where he faced three-time Major champion Stan Wawrinka. He rallied from a set down to defeat the Swiss 6-7 (3), 6-2, 7-6 (5). He then took on home favorite Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the quarterfinals.
Jarry led by a break in the first set but Etcheverry managed to get back on serve and even bagged the last three games of the set to claim it. The Chilean responded by taking the second set to level the proceedings.
Etcheverry sustained an injury that forced him to throw in the towel after the second set. Jarry thus advanced to the semifinals and won the match with a score of 4-6, 7-5, ret.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Nicolas Jarry head-to-head
Alcaraz leads Jarry 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2023 Wimbledon in four sets.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Nicolas Jarry odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Carlos Alcaraz vs Nicolas Jarry prediction
Once Alcaraz clinched the closely fought first set, he played with a bit more ease. He's still far from his best but his current level proved to be more than enough to handle his opponents so far. However, Jarry will prove to be a step up from the competition he has faced this week.
The Chilean was en route to staging a comeback against Etcheverry but the latter's injury brought the match to an end. Jarry's big serve wasn't as effective in the previous round as it was against Wawrinka in the second round. He'll need it to fire on all cylinders against the Spaniard.
Aside from their most recent encounter at Wimbledon, the two also played a match on clay before that. Jarry pushed Alcaraz to three sets at last year's Rio Open but came up short. The Chilean excels on clay so this could be another match that goes down to the wire.
Nevertheless, the defending champion will be expected to fight his way through the contest and make it to the final.
Pick: Carlos Alcaraz to win in three sets.
