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The "Golden Swing" continues in South America this week, as the tennis action remains in Argentina but moves to the capital, Buenos Aires. Diego Schwartzmann, Cristian Garin and Borna Coric are all announced to compete this week for the title.
The Buenos Aires Open has a very prestigious place on the ATP calendar, despite having only 250 points. This is the 99th edition of the tournament, making it one of the oldest ones on tour.
It is interesting that no player has ever managed to defend a title here in Buenos Aires - not even Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer in their prime. Considering his current form, I believe defending champion Marco Cecchinato is going to continue that trend; it is hard to see him winning the title this week.
On that note, here's a look at three players to watch out for in Buenos Aires.
1. Dusan Lajovic
Dusan Lajovic is a player that many tennis fans sleep on, but he is a very solid claycourt player who has produced some good performances in 2020 so far. Lajovic played an important role for Serbia in their ATP Cup win, and I expect him to carry that confidence and momentum to the clay swing too.
In 2019, the Serb made the final of a Masters tournament on clay, in Monte Carlo, and he also won the title in Umag. The tournament in Croatia had conditions of play similar to the ones in Buenos Aires, so Lajovic's superb groundstrokes can make him a very dangerous prospect this week.
2. Federico Delbonis
Federico Delbonis might be in the twilight of his career, but the level of play he showed at the Australian Open was not bad at all. I expect him to be fully motivated when he enters the court in the capital of his home country this week.
Delbonis is a very experienced claycourt player, with a powerful serve and a very good backhand, which can put anyone in trouble. If he can get past a tired Diego Schwartzman in the second round, then I believe he can go all the way to the final.
Delbonis has won ATP titles on clay in the past, and if he is fit, he has a very good chance of having a good tournament in Buenos Aires. His record in the Golden Swing is not bad, and he should be comfortable with the conditions of play this week.
3. Borna Coric
Borna Coric had an awful 2019 season, and his start from to the current one has been nothing to write home about either. Still, the Croat is capable of producing a high level of play on clay, and it is expected that he will get back to winning ways sooner or later.
Coric wouldn't have to play his absolute best in order to defeat the players in this draw. Moreover, the fact that he didn't play last week in Cordoba means that he is more rested than many of his fellow competitors.
The extra rest, coupled with the motivation to win a title again, might be enough for Coric to put up an impressive showing this week in Buenos Aires.
