Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Buenos Aires match.
These two players have faced each other twice before, but their last encounter was nearly three years ago at the Madrid Masters, where Dušan Lajović claimed victory. However, much has changed since then, particularly in terms of age—the Serbian is now 34 years old.
Roberto Carballes Baena
The Spaniard is almost 32 years old, but unlike Lajović, his performance on clay remains consistent. Given that the ATP 250 tournament in Buenos Aires is played on clay, this gives Carballes Baena a significant advantage. Although his season started on hard courts, with five wins and four losses, he still produced some strong results. For instance, he defeated 23rd seed Alejandro Tabilo at the Australian Open (1:6, 6:2, 6:3, 7:6) and advanced to the third round, where he only lost to 12th seed Tommy Paul (6:7, 2:6, 0:6). His only surprising defeat came in the first round in Dallas, where he lost to world No. 422 Michael Mmoh (1:6, 6:3, 4:6).
Dušan Lajović
The Serbian has had a poor start to 2025. In the first round of the Australian Open, he lost to his compatriot Miomir Kecmanović (5:7, 6:3, 3:6, 6:3, 3:6), who, notably, is ranked lower than Carballes Baena (56th vs 50th). Additionally, Lajović failed to qualify for the ATP 250 event in Adelaide. So far this season, he has won just one match out of three, indicating his lack of form. His clay-court results have also declined in recent years. In 2024, he barely maintained a positive record (13-10), whereas Carballes Baena recorded 27 wins and 14 losses, nearly double Lajović’s success rate.
Roberto Carballes Baena vs Dušan Lajović Prediction
Form, age, and surface preference give Roberto Carballes Baena a clear advantage. He is much more comfortable on clay, whereas Lajović’s performance has been declining.
