Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Pedro Martinez vs Hubert Hurkacz: ATP Estoril – Final
Hubert Hurkacz will go against the underdog Pedro Martinez in the ATP Estoril final.
Pedro Martinez Profile
Pedro Martinez is 77th in the rankings, while his career high was No. 40 in the world. The Argentinian is 18-6 for the season and 12-2 on clay courts.
He is coming off the biggest win of his career defeating Casper Ruud 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Previously in the tournament, he defeated Daniel Altmeier, Roberto Bautista Agut and Richard Gasquet.
Last week, Martinez won the Challenger in Girona, defeating Radu Albat in the final 7-5, 6-4. Earlier in the season, he lost the final in Tenerife to Brandon Nakashima and made it to the semis in Santiago.
Martinez is going after his second ATP title in his career after winning in Santiago in 2022.
Hubert Hurkacz Profile
Hubert Hurkacz is tenth in the ATP rankings, two spots lower than his career-high. The Polish are 18-8 for the season, including 3-0 on clay courts.
He is coming off a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win over Cristian Garin. In the previous two matches in Estoril, Hurkacz defeated Pablo Llamas Ruiz and Jan Choinski, both 7-6, 6-4.
This is the first final of the season for Hurkacz after he made it to the semis in Marseille, where he lost to Ugo Humbert.
He had a solid performance at the Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinal, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev.
He has a total of 7 ATP titles with the last one coming in Shanghai last year.
Head-to-Head Hurkacz leads 3-0
- Hurkacz vs Martinez 7-6, 6-2, 6-2 (2023 Australian open, first round)
- Hurkacz vs Martinez 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 (2022 Monte Carlo Masters, second round)
- Hurkacz vs Martinez 6-3, 6-3 (2018 US Open, third qualifying round)
Prediction and Conclusion
Both players went through a three-set semifinal match, but the fact is that it was more difficult for Martinez to get through. He is coming off the biggest win of his career and the first against a top-10 player. His confidence is sky high, but he finished his match yesterday much later than Hurkacz. Hurkacz made it to his first ATP final on clay and is the favorite in this one. Clay is not his favorite surface, but with his serve, he will make the difference and win this match in straight sets.
