Challenger Cary - Jordi Arconada to follow his sister's lead

Formidable Family

Last week, we followed Usue Maitane Arconada and she made it all the way to both the doubles and singles finals. In both finals, she lost to Anna Blinkova, who is really stepping up this summer.

Today, her older brother Jordi is competing in the Challenger event in Cary. Like his sister, he was born in Argentina and currently plays under the American flag. Last year, he left college to try his luck on the pro tour. His college career was fairly successful. Playing at the #2 and #3 spot for the Texas A&M Aggies, he was selected for the All-SEC Second Team in 2017.

Improving steadily

Upon turning pro, he did not break through immediately. After adjusting to the new level of competition, he settled in and won three doubles titles and reached one singles final. The most encouraging results in my mind were the six semifinals in 2018. Six! These are great results for an aspiring pro. This year, he made it even further, winning his first two singles pro titles in Cancun, Mexico while competing strongly in several Challenger events.

Arconada's shotmaking ability is awesome and he has also improved his footwork, which had been a weakness when he first came on tour. Over the last two years, he has posted a respectable record of 66-34 and 39-21 on hard courts.

Comparable Competition

The story of his opponent, Liam Caruana from Italy, is quite similar. His family moved to the United States when he was 6. He sharpened his skillset by playing the likes of Fritz and Tiafoe early in his childhood. Caruana has shown promise and potential to be a solid pro.

Upon his arrival to the ITF tour, he immediately won a title in 2017 and the year after, he qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals. This year, he has regressed and seems further from reaching his full potential as a player. He competed in three ITF 25k events in August and posted a 4-3 record, losing to Langmo, Rodriguez Taverna and Nguyen. All of these tournaments were played on hard courts, just like today's match in Cary.

Close match expected

After analyzing the facts and considering current form, I do not think Caruana should be such a big favorite. I'm expecting a close affair. So I'll take the +3.5 games handicap on Jordi Arconada.