Fifth seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic will meet sixth seed Sebastian Baez of Argentina in the final of the 2023 ATP Winston-Salem Open on Saturday, August 26. Get the predictions and odds of this Jiri Lehecka v Sebastian Baez match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
Looking to Bet on the 2023 Winston-Salem Open live online?
- For tennis fans in the Europe & elsewhere go to bet365 > Tennis here
- Other Winston-Salem Open match previews & predictions options here
[the_ad id=”100858″]
Jiri Lehecka v Sebastian Baez Head to Head
They are 1-1 from their previous meetings. Lehecka won at an ITF event and Baez won in the Davis Cup last year.
Also Read:
Lehecka Advances as Korda Withdraws
World no. 35 Jiri Lehecka got an easy pass into the final after his semifinal opponent, third seed Sebastian Korda pulled out of the tournament straight after his draining quarterfinal win over Richard Gasquet.
Korda had picked up an ankle injury in the match after taking a tumble and so he withdrew from the tournament.
Following Korda’s walkover, the 21-year-old Czech moved into his first ever ATP final.
The 2022 ATP NextGen runner-up is 29-18 at the tour level this year. Seeded no. 5, he had begun his Winston Salem campaign with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over America’s Mitchell Krueger in the second round. He followed that up with another three set win, beating Geramany’s Dominik Koepfer 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
Lehecka then edged out Australia’s Max Purcell 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in the quarterfinal.
Can the Czech, who reached his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal in Melbourne and the semifinals in Doha this year, claim his maiden ATP title on Saturday?
[the_ad id=”100858″]
Baez Holds Off Coric
World no. 42 Sebastian Baez dug deep to see off top seed Borna Coric in a three hour and 17 minute semifinal on Friday.
After dominating the first set, the sixth seed argentine saw the Croatian fight back by coming back from a break twice and taking the second set in the tiebreak.
Both players refused to give up easily as the third set too went into the tiebreak. But it was the Argentine who controlled the deciding set tiebreak to win the contest 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-2).
Thanks to the win, Baez has now extended his current streak to nine matches. he had come in as the Kitzbuhel champion, having won that clay court title by beating Dominic Thiem in the final in the first week of August.
Baez will now be competing in a sixth ATP final and a third of the season. He had also won the title in Cordoba this year and a win on Saturday will not only land his third title of the season but also the fourth of his career. Interestingly all five of his previous finals have all been played on clay.
Friday’s win was in stark contrast to his victory in the quarterfinal against Laslo Djere, when he beat the Serb 6-3, 6-0 in just 75 minutes.
He had however needed three sets to win his first two matches, as he defeated Daniel Elahi Galán 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the second round and Aleksandar Vukic 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the third round.
Can he keep his streak intact and go into the U.S. Open as Winston-Salem champion?
Lehecka v Baez Prediction and Tip
It’s a tough one to call. Baez is on a nine-match winning streak and upset the top seed in a gritty display on Friday. Lehecka, too, has scored good wins in the tournament and is also fresher of the two having got a day off on Friday, thanks to Korda’s withdrawal. Baez, meanwhile, will be drained after the mentally and physically sapping contest against Coric.
However, Baez knows how to handle the pressure of finals. He has been there befoe, while for Lehecka it will be a first experience at the highest level. So expect an exciting contest, with Baez edging past the Czech player in the final.
Tips:
- Moderate Risk Tip: Baez to win: 1/2 (with bet365)
- Moderate Risk Tip: Over 22.5 games in the match: 5/6 (with bet365)
The 2023 ATP Winston-Salem Open will be played from August 20 to 26. You can get all the tennis betting news with our tennis betting blog here. Also get rest of the tennis match previews here.
Be the first to comment