Lefty lefty!

Those proper big clay-court lefty matches that are going to be a struggle to play because they’re so unique

Tabilo is getting his form back; the Chilean chose to go play a Challenger on clay after Australia and he made it all the way to the final at home in Chile. He followed that up with a Davis Cup win, but without being really convincing; apparently he had headaches. He hasn’t beaten any top players and still dropped a few sets, so I’m still not convinced he’s back to his prime, especially since on clay I find that physically he can collapse quite quickly. I’ll be keeping a close eye on that side of things.

Diaz Acosta is also getting his form back; in his case, it’s physically that he’s very often been held back by his body. Lots of injuries, but every time he comes back, he’s excellent. I saw him in Rosario and he came very close to clutching the match against Carabelli (future champion); he was trailing several times and each time he came back. It took a good Carabelli to calm him down. He’s finding his tennis again and entering his favorite tournament; he won Buenos Aires in 2024. I’m not expecting him to be that good again, but I do think he still has what it takes to get through a few rounds given the level he’s showing. For a first meeting against Tabilo, he’ll have to manage to neutralize the Chilean’s serve, but once he’s settled into the rally, he’s better in my opinion. If the match goes long, Diaz will also have the advantage.