A Decade of Argentine Tennis Dominance in Kitzbühel: Breaking the Curse

2023-08-05 17:02:00

The one in Kitzbühel is a tournament that has historically gone down very well with the Argentines. Since Guillermo Vilas won it, in that glorious year of 1977. The left-hander celebrated on the Austrian brick dust three more times, in 1980, 1982 and 1983. But It had been 15 years since any compatriot celebrated in the impressive Tyrolean landscape, since Juan Martín del Potro was crowned in 2008. Just a decade ago, Pico Monaco came the closest, but he stumbled in the final.

Sebastián Báez broke the curse and raised the Argentine flag high once more with the conquest of the ATP 250 in Kitzbühel, the third of his short and successful career and number 231 in national tennis. It was a very solid week, which was crowned with the great victory over the local star, Dominic Thiem (former number 3 in the world in reconstruction), by 6-3 and 6-1. In this way, the man born in Billinghurst, province of Buenos Aires, regains ground in the world ranking, since this week he will jump to 42nd place, a huge advance, considering that he started the week in Austria in 72nd place. .

Sebastián Báez, champion in Kitzbühel@alexanderscheuber

The Argentine was really happy, once the match was over. First, there were words of thanks to the organizers and fair recognition of his rival, who was the favorite of the public. The usual prizes, a champagne bath for Thiem and a virtual communication with his main coach, Sebastián Gutiérrez – who stayed in Buenos Aires – completed a dream tournament finale. And then He answered LA NACION, with a calm tone but in which great relief might be glimpsed.

“We are at the bullfights all the time, because it is a tournament every week and when it ends you are focused on something else. Now it’s time to enjoy, today is the day to do it. The celebration will be more than anything a relaxed meal at night, perhaps some dessert, but enjoying the little things. We have been paddling it for many years. Not only me, but my team, more than anything my coach (referring to Gutiérrez) who has been there since I was little. It will be that, especially following not having had the best results in recent times”, the champion started the brief talk from Kitzbühel.

Sebastián Báez drenches his loser, Dominic Thiem, with champagne following the final in Kitzbühel@alexanderscheuber

A professional since 2018, he arrived in Austria with two titles on his resume: in 2022, he was crowned on the brick dust of Estoril, following defeating the American Frances Tiafoe in the final. In February of this year, she won the Córdoba Open, following beating Federico Coria in the decisive match. This Saturday was not an easy challenge, since in front of him was a man who, although he is trying to return to his best form following injuries that undermined his career, was number 3 in the world and was absolutely local. But recent experience hardened Báez, in his own words: “I had the experience this year [se refiere a Roland Garros] to play at Philippe Chatrier with [Gaël] Monfils with a full stadium and shouting the French anthem… It was such a heavy audience that even Monfils himself told me that he had never experienced anything like this in his entire career. Those things are what give a lot, but a lot of experience. I lost that game, but it gave me much more than a victory might have given me. And today it was a bit on that side, but I felt good throughout the game. It hasn’t happened to me in a while. It is the result of continuing to work and being focused on all points. This week I was able to do it not just one day, so the joy is also on that side ”.

Sebastián Báez, happy with the Kitzbühel trophy@alexanderscheuber

That Roland Garros blow left great lessons, says Báez, who nevertheless accumulated several frustrations until he reached Kitzbühel. Wimbledon (with the Chilean Barrios), Bastad (with Federico Coria) and Hamburg (with Casper Ruud) were tournaments in which he consecutively lost in the first match. This is how he arrived at this Austrian open. However, in his words he shows an admirable temperance: “You have to be balanced in victory and defeat, but for me… What can I tell you… It’s a great year! Lately I didn’t have the best results, but I won two tournaments! I find it very successful and demanding sometimes to ask to win every week. So finding that balance is good and when you have the opportunity, take it. As it happened to me this year, in which there were two weeks in which I felt very good and I seized them in the best way, ”he tells LA NACION.

Now comes the hard court season, which will end with the US Open. For a tennis player, the future is always just around the corner. Therefore, you have to go many times modifying the steps according to what is indicated in the present. “One thing was projected before this tournament and I think the calendar changed a bit,” he underlined the last sentence with a smile, hinting that the long and successful week, crowned with the conquest of the title, will force us to rethink short-term plans. term. “I started this tournament at 70 or 80 and now I end up in the 50s, so the calendar will have to be adjusted,” insists Báez, who will start the week in 42nd place, which means an advance of 30 places compared to when he began his career. adventure in Austria. But he leaves some clues: “The truth is that I am going to return to Buenos Aires to prepare two tournaments on cement, possibly one of them is Winston-Salem.” This contest is an ATP 250 that will begin on August 20 in North Carolina and that distributes just over 800,000 dollars in prizes.

“I allowed myself to be happy. Many times I control myself and today I let myself be carried away by joy, because I have to enjoy it ”, closed Báez, who remembered his family and his team once more, the messages that come to him especially in bad times, that they do not they were few in the last weeks. A tennis player who does not usually express too many emotions, as he himself admits, that he always tries to control himself and that today, on the brick dust of Kitzbühel, he released all the emotions that he had contained.

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