Sebastian Baez defended the ATP 500 title in Rio de Janeiro. The Argentine extended his winning streak at the prestigious clay-court event following a 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Alexandre Muller in the title clash.
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The Argentine sealed the deal in an hour and 26 minutes, adding the seventh ATP title to his name and receiving a trophy from Juan Martin den Potro. Sebastian outplayed Alexandre on serve and return, taming his strokes nicely and moving over the top in style.
Baez collected 14 points more than his rival. He saved four of five break points and mounted the pressure on the other side. The Frenchman could not follow that pace. Muller dropped almost half of the points in his games and suffered five breaks from 12 chances offered to his opponent.
Sebastian hit 26 winners and 23 unforced errors. Muller landed more service winners but spoiled that with a mediocre 13-26 ratio from the field. The Argentine controlled the pace from the baseline and held everything in his hands. Alexandre experienced a setback in the third game of the duel.
He wasted two game points and offered his rival two break chances. Baez converted the second when his rival placed a backhand wide, delivering a break and moving in front. The defending champion had to dig deep on serve in the fourth game.
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Sebastian denied three break points and held with a powerful serve to cement the break and move 3-1 in front. Muller struggled behind the initial shot in game five. The Frenchman denied three break points with winners and held to remain in touch.
The Argentine played against a break point in the sixth game and saved it with a well-constructed attack and a smash winner at the net. The better-ranked player held and made his third consecutive push on the return in the next one.
Like in the third game, Muller squandered a 40-15 lead and three game points. Baez created a break chance and landed a forehand down the line winner for his second break and a 5-2 advantage. The Argentine served for the set in game eight.
He held at love after a backhand crosscourt winner at the net, forging a 6-2 lead after 47 minutes. The second set was more fluid, offering four breaks but only one deuce. They held at love in the first two games before Alexandre faced issues at 1-1.
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The Frenchman saved two break points before spraying a forehand error on the third and falling 2-1 behind. Sebastian played his worst service game of the match in the next one, losing serve at love after Muller's powerful return and bringing his opponent back to 2-2.
They produced fine holds in games five and six, staying neck and neck at 3-3. The defending champion grabbed a pivotal break in the seventh game when his rival missed a backhand. Baez confirmed the break with a service winner in game eight.
Thus, he moved 5-3 up and kept the pressure on the other side. The Argentine stepped in on the return in game nine and painted a return winner for two match points. He converted the second with a forced error, celebrating the title defense and his seventh ATP trophy.
