The Barcelona Open round of 16 is here, and the Monte Carlo Masters champion is here to make his claim to another tournament. Stefanos Tsitsipas will play against Roberto Carballés Baena in an attempt to gain a chance to win back-to-back titles. The Greek player beat Alexander Zverev, Karen Khachanov, and Jannik Sinner to face and defeat Casper Ruud in the final.

Baena showed a good hold on clay in the Grand Prix Hassan II as he reached the final, only dropping one set and losing to Matteo Berrettini. Now, he needs to see how he will match Tsitsipas. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Roberto Carballés Baena: Preview

Tsitsipas faced Sebastian Ofner in the first round in Barcelona and hit 3 aces while receiving 5. He landed 72% of first serves and won 69% of the points while winning 39% on second serves. Both players had eight chances to take break points. Tsitsipas took 5 while Ofner took 3, which shows the Greek’s ability to stay calm under pressure and push his opponents over the edge at the same time. Tsitsipas gave Ofner 29 receiving points while taking 28, which means his return skills need more polishing.

After beating Hugo Grenier in the round of 64, Baena beat Lorenzo Musetti. Baena won 7-6, 6-4 against the Italian player despite allowing 5 serves while only hitting 2. He landed 75% of first serves and won 73% of the points while winning 50% on second serves. Baena pushed Musetti to 13 break points and won 3 while only giving 1 away. His service helped him under pressure, but his break points show his difficulty in closing out an opponent’s game. 

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Tsitsipas vs Baena: Head-to-Head

Tsitsipas and Baena have played against each other twice on the ATP Tour. The Greek player leads 2-0 in their encounters. Their first match took place in the 2018 Estoril Open qualifier, which Tsitsipas won 6-7, 6-2, 7-6. Their second match would take place in the 2023 French Open, in which Tsitsipas won 6-3, 7-6, 6-2.

Both of their matches were played on clay, and Tsitsipas won both. They have not played each other for almost a year, which could have brought some advantage for Baena, but Tsitsipas recently won the Monte-Carlo Masters, showing his prowess on clay continues this year.  

Prediction: Tsitsipas to send Baena home

Tsitsipas did not have a good start to the year, as he faced several early exits. However, he turned it around on his favorite surface and had a better chance of running deeper into the city of Counts. He is in form, and beating him on clay is nearly impossible. Baena found the misfortune to face him so early, but he is also on a roll at the moment.

The Spaniard is serving well, and if he is meticulous, he can take advantage of Tsitsipas’ return, which is a little problematic at the moment. Aside from exploiting his return, Tsitsipas will not give Baena much ground to take a breather. The Greek player is set to win, but he can find a challenge in the 31-year-old.