ATP 250 SANTIAGO, Chile: By Leo Canaparo
The South American swing on the professional circuit came to an end with the ATP 250 final in Santiago. There, Serbian Laslo Djere (ranked No. 103 in the world) stopped Sebastián Báez (No. 31) just short of the title, defeating him 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in two hours and 26 minutes. As a result, the Argentine was unable to defend his crown. Báez entered the decisive match with an eight-match winning streak after his strong performances in Brazil.
Djere played high-level tennis throughout the entire week, and the final was no exception. The match was extended only because of Báez’s fighting spirit. The Serbian was up a break twice in the final set and even served for the match, but Sebastián managed to break back on both occasions.
Before facing Báez, Djere had defeated Ignacio Buse (No. 226), Pedro Martínez (No. 36), Jaime Faria (No. 87), and Francisco Cerúndolo (No. 26), respectively. With this result, Báez’s record now stands at seven ATP titles and three additional finals at this level. Regarding the rankings, his inability to defend the points earned as champion in 2024 will see him drop three spots, from No. 31 to No. 34.