Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Juan Bautista Torres Prediction, Picks, Odds, H2H, 19/9/24

Our second preview also comes from the Kia Open in Colombia on the ATP Challenger Tour. Let’s look at Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Juan Bautista Torres.

Bautista Torres’ win probability is just shy of 50%, while Cerundolo is favored to win at 1.83 odds. The handicap is 0.5 games and the total games line is 21.5.

For more daily tennis tips, visit the bettingexpert community, but if you want more expert tips from Jon Reid, visit our Expert Insights section.

Our Cerundolo vs Torres prediction is for Cerundolo to win.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Juan Bautista Torres Prediction: Cerundolo Back in Friendly Environs on South American Soil

• Prediction: Cerundolo to win
• Best Odds: 1.83
• Bookmaker: Pinnacle
• Stakes: 3/10

Odds updated at 2:00 am UK Time on September 19th, 2024. 

I think getting Cerundolo in South America and at altitude at such a cheap price as a favorite is a near must-bet. I’m not one for blind-betting anything, but considering Bautista Torres is no Challenger talisman, I’m happy to take the lefty at 1.83 odds here.

He’s fared well against the lower level of competition in South American tournaments and his game is well suited for the thinner air, which requires more precision than sea-level play. His defending and movement are also elite and even his serve and forehand tend to be more relevant when playing in elevated climates, as they travel through the air quicker and get on his opponents that much sooner.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo Recent Form

We’ve seen a pattern develop with “Juanma” in the last little while and that is his ability to look incredible in South America and then underpowered and in trouble when he ventures to Europe.

Luckily for him, this tournament is back on his home continent. Though he was just 4-4 at the Challenger level between July and August, he’s won his last 11 on his home continent dating back to June.

Throw in the altitude helping his serve out a bit, along with his ability to control his shots so well and you have a recipe for success. He may not be in the top 200 at the moment (after being ranked as highly as 79th), but a win in this match and he’ll re-enter that category.

Juan Bautista Torres Recent Form

Torres has had a tough time with Cerundolo in the past, but his recent form has been strong. He won the Dobrich Challenger a few weeks ago (though he needed a slew of three-setters and it was just a Challenger 50). He also managed to beat a rising Bolivian youngster in the opening round – though he’s had Carlos Prado Angelo’s number in the past as well and that may have been a matchup-specific deal.

He has one heck of a forehand and can certainly hit with some of the better clay courters, but he can be wild at times as well.

That could pose problems on Thursday for two reasons. For starters, he’s playing one of the elite defenders who can prolong points when it comes to clay-court Challengers in the younger Cerundolo. Secondly, we’re well above sea level this week in Cali, which means the thinner air will help balls sail if they’re hit without controlled aggression.

I think Bautista Torres’ ceiling is slightly higher than Cerundolo, but I think he’s far from realizing that potential and at the moment is a deserved underdog.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Juan Bautista Torres H2H – Stat of the Match

Cerundolo has yet to lose to Torres in three meetings. The first came a while back, but the last two were in the last two seasons. Bautista Torres did manage to keep the last one pretty close, but he’s still yet to defeat his countryman.

Safer Gambling

At bettingexpert, we always take a safe approach to gambling. We’ll never bet more than we can afford or chase losses. For more advice, head to our Safer Gambling hub.