Tabilo Assures There’s A Local Finalist In Chile Open

Alejandro Tabilo
Alejandro Tabilo (photo: Movistar Chile Open)

SANTIAGO/WASHINGTON, March 3, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

When the fifth edition of the Movistar Chile Open began on Monday, it was a good bet – albeit a safe one – that defending champion, top seed and home-grown hero Nicolas Jarry would be playing for the title come Sunday.

By Friday night, though, all bets were off as the World No. 22 Jarry was upset – literarily and figuratively – by 140-ranked French qualifier Corentin Moutet, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3). The towering 6-foot-6 Jarry exchanged a few unpleasantries with Moutet (much shorter at 5-foot-11) at the net at the conclusion and stomped off the court in disappointment. Arguably, he was still mad that the Frenchman had the audacity to hit an underarm serve on the first point of the match. The word “pathetic” was spewed by Jarry, according to Moutet, and it wasn’t a term of endearment.

As Moutet faced another Chilean, No. 4 seed Alejandro Tabilo, in the first semifinal Saturday evening, there was still tension in the air hovering over 5,000-seat Court Jaime Fillol. By now, Moutet wasn’t exactly a popular figure in Santiago — no mater what he said or did — and every point Tabilo won brought big cheers from the partisan Chilean fans.

Two hours and 32 minutes after it began, there was plenty of thunderous applause from the raucous crowd after Tabilo rallied from a break down in both the second and third sets and pulled out a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Moutet for his 10th win of the season. He’s the third Chilean finalist in tournament history, after Cristian Garin in 2021 and Jarry last year. Both won the Santiago title, and Tabilo will certainly be a sentimental favorite.

“He is a very talented player who I knew would come up with a lot of variety,” Tabilo said of Moutet, in his on-court interview. “It’s always tough playing against someone like that, but [the crowd] helped me a lot today and I was just trying to keep focused, keep calm and keep battling.”

As for the likable, 26-year-old lefty Tabilo, he is through to his third ATP Tour final – second of the season after winning the Auckland title in January – and first on clay since Cordoba in 2022. He had already secured a career-high No. 45 ranking coming in and improved upon it with his semifinal triumph, moving up to 39th. If he wins the Santiago title Sunday evening, he would finish the Golden Swing of South America ranked No. 35.

Up next, Tabilo will face Rio Open champion Sebastian Baez, who defeated Pedro Martinez, 6-4, 6-2, to reach his second straight title match on the Golden Swing.

As it happened in the first semifinal, on serve at 4-all in the opening set, Moutet converted his second break point of the game, then consolidated the break to win the set after Tabilo killed a 10-shot rally by sailing a backhand long.

Next, after an exchange of service breaks to start the second set, Tabilo elevated his game and broke Moutet in the 10th game to win the set 6-4. It would be on to a decider.

At 2-all, Moutet broke Tabilo at love and consolidated the break to go ahead 4-2. Soon, Tabilo broke back on his third break-opportunity to level the set at 4-4. Then, ahead 6-5, he won on his third match point to advance to Sunday’s final.

Tabilo won 75 percent of his first-serve points, converted four of 12 break points and outpointed Moutet 93-84.

“In the third set I just thought back to how I was broken in the first game of the second set, so I had a few more games to break back,” Tabilo explained. “I just tried to stay calm and wait for the opportunity.”

Come Sunday, there will be a Chilean playing in the title match after all – Alejandro Tabilo — just not the one everyone expected at the beginning of the week.

Baez wins eighth straight, reaches back-to-back finals

Second seed Sebastian Baez of Argentina is on an eight-match winning streak after defeating No. 101 Pedro Martinez of Spain, 6-4, 6-2, in an hour and 41 minutes to reach his second straight final after capturing the Rio Open a week ago.

By advancing in Santiago, the 21st-ranked Baez is through to his eighth ATP Tour final – his seventh on clay and fourth in South America. He leads the ATP Tour for most wins this season with 15.

Baez hit five aces, won 75 percent of his first-serve points, saved both break points he faced while breaking Martinez’s serve three times in six opportunities, and outpointed his opponent 73-59. It’s a nice turnaround for Baez, who lost the 2022 Chile Open final to Martinez in three sets.

“Of course, I feel good,” Baez said in his on-court interview. “I don’t know if this is revenge [for losing the 2022 final to Martinez]. That’s in the past. I just focused on the match. He was good all tournament, so congrats to him. I’m happy to be in another final.”

With his latest triumph, Baez is 29-4 lifetime in Chile (including ATP Tour qualifying and Challengers), highlighted by three Challenger titles. If the 23-year-old Buenos Aires native beats Alejandro Tabilo in Sunday’s final, he would secure his debut in the Top 20 of the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.

Barrios Vera and Tabilo win first ATP Tour doubles title

Unseeded Chileans Tomas Barrios Vera and Alejandro Tabilo defeated wild card duo Orlando Luz of Brazil and Matias Soto of Chile, 6-2, 6-4, in 69 minutes to win their fist ATP Tour doubles title.

The Chilean duo improved to 14-9 on tour-level as a pair, after making their team debut in 2016 at a ITF Mexico F2 event before appearing in their first ATP Tour match in Santiago four years ago.

Until the final, they won all their matches this week in deciding sets this week, including a win over defending champions Andrea Pellegrino and Andrea Vavassori of Italy in the quarterfinals.

Also, the two Chileans met in the second round in singles this week with Tabilo coming out on top, 6-2, 7-5.

By the numbers

By reaching the semifinals, Corentin Moutet moved up 35 places in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and would have returned to the Top 100 after leaving it last September had he beaten Alejandro Tabilo. The Frenchman was attempting to be the  first qualifier to reach the Santiago final in the five-year tournament history.

“Quotable …”

“He said ‘pathetic,’ I don’t know why. I behaved well. There were so many people against me, booing, making noises when I was serving. So, I think I didn’t do anything ‘pathetic.’ I think I survived well, I played good. You should ask him why he said that. We are not exactly best friends on tour, actually I don’t know him well.”

Corentin Moutet, quoted by Claytenis.com, after defeating World No. 22 and top seed Nicolas Jarry of Chile Friday evening.

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