Cincinnati 2022: Taylor Fritz vs Sebastian Baez preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick | Western & Southern Open

Match Details

Fixture: (11) Taylor Fritz vs Sebastian Baez

Date: August 15, 2022

Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2022

Round: First Round (Round of 64)

Venue: Mason, Ohio

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Hard

Prize money: $6,280,880

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sport18

Taylor Fritz vs Sebastian Baez preview

Fritz at Wimbledon 2022

Eleventh seed Taylor Fritz will take on Sebastian Baez in the first round of the Cincinnati Open on Monday.

Fritz is having the season of his career. Having started the year with a quarterfinal defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Australian Open, he suffered a brief dip in form. However, he quickly regained his mojo and won his first-ever Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells. The American cruised past Andrey Rublev and Rafael Nadal en route to the title.

Fritz made the quarterfinals at Monte Carlo, but was ousted by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. The 24-year-old then lost in the second round at Roland Garros.

Fritz started the grass season poorly but stormed back into form by winning the Eastbourne International. He beat Maxime Cressy, 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) in the final. He then made a deep run at Wimbledon before being defeated by Nadal in a five-set thriller.

Sebastian Baez at Wimbledon 2022

Sebastian Baez has had an impressive season so far. He started the year ranked No. 99 and now stands at No. 32, with a career-high ranking of 31. The 21-year-old won the first title of his career at the Estoril Open, beating the likes of Marin Cilic, Richard Gasquet and Frances Tiafoe.

Baez also made the final of the Swedish Open but lost out to his countryman Francisco Cerundolo, 7-6(4), 6-2.

Since then, however, the Argentine has suffered a dip in form and has failed to get past the opening round in each of his four subsequent tournaments.

Taylor Fritz vs Sebastian Baez head-to-head

The pair are yet to face each other, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.

Taylor Fritz vs Sebastian Baez odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (Over & Under)
Taylor Fritz	-450	-4.5 (-110)	Over 21.5 (-130)
Sebastian Baez	+310	+4.5 (-125)	Under 21.5 (-110)

(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)

Taylor Fritz vs Sebastian Baez prediction

Fritz will be the favorite to win this encounter. The lanky American is known for his attacking style. He possesses a powerful, accurate serve and solid forehand. An area in which Fritz has improved significantly of late is his movement around the court.

Baez, despite having a good season so far, has not fared well on hardcourt. With a win percentage of just 25%, the Argentine will need to step up his game to trouble Fritz. Baez doesn't possess the biggest serve but has a solid all-round game. He will try to make Fritz work hard for every point.

The match could end up going the distance, but Fritz will be confident of coming through in the end.

Pick: Fritz in three