ATP Estoril Final: Hubert Hurkacz vs. Pedro Martinez; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction

There has been no shortage of drama at the Estoril Open in the last few days. Tennis fans have seen some bizarre scenes coming out from the tournament this year. During a QF match, fans witnessed how the chair umpire Christian Rask didn’t pay any heed to complaints of getting disrupted due to an errant ‘out’ call from the crowd. The point wasn’t replayed and the match continued. On Wednesday, tennis fans were left baffled when the live coverage of the tournament was interrupted and replaced by footage of bikini-clad women at the beaches.

What lies ahead for the finals? Well, the second seed from Poland, Hubert Hurkcaz takes on the mighty challenger from Spain, Pedro Martinez in a blockbuster clash in the finals of the 2024 Estoril Open at Clube de Tenis do Estoril. Who’ll have the last laugh in this enticing encounter?

Hubert Hurkacz vs Pedro Martinez: Preview

Hubert Hurkacz hasn’t faced a Top 100 opponent yet in this tournament. While Pedro Martinez is entering into this mega battle after a stellar victory against the world no.8 in the SF. Hurkacz started his 2024 season with a QF appearance at the 2024 AO. In the QF, the Polish tennis star was defeated by Daniil Medvedev in a five-set-thriller. After that, he reached the SF of Open 13 and made it to the R16 in Rotterdam. Even in the Dubai Tennis Championships, he looked in superb touch while making a QF run at the Middle East tournament.

But Hubert Hurlacz couldn’t do much at the Indian Wells and could only make it to the R16 in Miami. However, at the Estoril Open this year he looked quite solid so far. Can Hurkacz clinch his first title in Estoril since his triumph at the Rolex Shanghai Masters in October last year?

His opponent in the finals, Pedro Martinez is currently chasing his second tour-level title after his emphatic triumph at Santiago in 2022. Martinez didn’t have a great start to his season this year. He couldn’t qualify for the 2024 AO but he made it to the finals in his next challenger tournament in Tenerife. The 26YO Spaniard reached the R16 of the Open Sud de France but after that, his most successful run came at the 2024 Chile Open where he reached the semis. Martinez couldn’t qualify for the Miami Open this year. But did it hamper his willpower?

Here’s the answer to this question. Pedro Martinex clinched the Challenger title in Girona before taking his flight to Estoril. He has already made his presence felt in Estoril by defeating Casper Ruud in the SF. What has he lined up for the world no.10? Well, that’s something which will be very interesting to watch in just a few hours from now.

Hurkacz vs Martinez: Head-to-Head

Huber Hurkacz and Pedro Martinez have faced each other thrice on previous occasions in their careers. Although Hubert Hurkacz has a clean sweep with a 3-0 margin in their H2H, the Spaniard can surely bank on the fact that their closest fight came on clay courts at Monte Carlo two years ago.

But before meeting in Monte Carlo, they had faced each other at the qualifiers of the 2018 US Open. That was their first meeting and Hurkacz defeated Martinez by 6-3,6-3 to kickstart their rivalry. However, their recent meeting came at the 2023 Australian Open. The Polish tennis star had the last laugh on every occasion, will this year be an exception? Well, don’t be surprised if the Spaniard has other plans for Hubert Hurkacz this year. He has already released a trailer in the SF, didn’t he? 

Prediction: Hurkacz winning the finals in straight sets

Surprised by the call? Well, if we look at Hubert Hurkcaz’s form this year and his H2H record over Pedro Martinez then this shouldn’t be a surprise at all. Hurkacz has won 18 out of his 26 matches this season. While Pedro Matinez’s win-loss record this year has been 18-6. However, to make things more dicey if we look at their records on the clay this year. Hurkacz is at 3-0, while the Spaniard is currently on a 12-2 record on the clay. Does it make this match more intriguing?

Hubert Hurkacz is currently chasing his 8th tour level in Estoril. On the other hand, Pedro Marinez has currently jumped up in the live rankings with his latest performances in Estoril. One is already a proven one, while the other is hungry is prove himself on the bigger stages of the game. Tighten your seatbelts to witness a mega battle on Super Sunday.

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