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The inaugural Cordoba Open will take place next week, replacing the ATP 250 event in Quito that was canceled due to lack of financial support. Thus, the Lawn Tenis Club Cordoba will host the first ATP tournament on clay in 2019, providing an excellent chance for those who like to compete on the slowest surface to chase the first title of the season following the first Grand Slam of the season in Melbourne.
The Roland Garros finalist should have led the field but he has decided to withdraw, leaving Fabio Fognini, Marco Cecchinato, Diego Schwartzman and Pablo Carreno Busta as the top seeds and the only players from the top-40.
Juan Ignacio Londero has received the first main draw wild card and the other two go to Carlos Berlocq and Thiago Seyboth Wild, in a mixture of youth and experience. The 36-year-old Carlos Berlocq won two ATP titles in 2013 and 2014 and he is also one of the most successful Challenger players ever with almost 350 wins and 19 titles, all on his beloved clay.
Known for his grueling tennis and fighting spirit, Berlocq has played more than 800 professional matches on the slowest surface and he is still capable of playing decent tennis, reaching three Challenger finals in 2018 and winning one title.
After Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the most promising Brazilian youngster Thiago Seyboth Wild has received a wild card for Cordoba as well, entering the second ATP tournament in a career after losing to Berlocq in Sao Paulo last February.
A talented youngster with a booming forehand claimed the first pro title in 2017 and he won the junior US Open last September, finishing his junior career on a high note and looking to establish himself as a decent Challenger player in 2019.
Thiago is currently ranked 451st although he is certainly capable of cracking the top-200 during the season if he stays healthy.