Mariano Navone vs Roberto Carballes Baena Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Cordoba

Prediction published on 04/02/2024, 07:54  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 04/02/2024 at 08:54 in Tennis Predictions

Roberto Carballes Baena takes on wild card Mariano Navone in round one of the Cordoba Open. Baena is seeded eighth for this outdoor clay court tournament and up next for the winner is a match against either a qualifier or Juan Manuel Cerundolo. The Spaniard is 65th in the live rankings and will hope for a good week to close in on his career high of 49th which he was last April. This is his first clay court tournament of the year but he has had success in 2024 on hard courts. Baena reached the last eight in Auckland but then lost in round one of the Australian Open to Hugo Gaston. Last year saw him only win four hard court matches but 19 on clay. That included winning the Grand Prix Hassan II tournament, his first title in five years. A Challenger Tour event in Seville was also won on clay in 2023.

Mariano Navone is 118th in the live list, just one spot below his career high. He'll set a new one if winning this match against Baena. He's already had some success on clay this year and got to the final of the Challenger Tour event held in Buenos Aires, losing to Facundo Bagnis. No players ranked in the top 230 were beaten on his way to that final. After that he lost in the first qualifying round of the Australian Open. Returning to clay he lost in round one of a Challenger Tour tournament in Uruguay, making it three defeats in a row. Five tournaments were won the Challenger Tour last year but he lost in the first qualifying round of the 2023 Cordoba Open. We go for Baena to get the win here.