Argentines Sebastián Báez and Juan Ignacio Londero entered the main draw of the ATP 500 tennis tournament in Rio de Janeiro, which will start tomorrow, after winning their respective second qualifying matches.
In the facilities of the Jockey Club of Rio de Janeiro, Báez (74) from Buenos Aires and Lóndero (130) from Córdoba achieved the successes that gave them a passport to the list of 32 that will fight for the title.
Báez, born in the city of San Martín, achieved a very close victory over the German Yannick Hanfmann (119), with partials of 2-6, 7-6 and 7-6, after two hours and 30 minutes of fighting.
The Buenos Aires tennis player, winner of six contests in the Challenger category during the 2021 season, led an interesting reaction in the last quarter, when he had fallen behind on the scoreboard 2-5, which included saving a match point.
In the premiere, Báez will face the local Thiago Monteiro (104), whom he defeated the two times they faced each other in Challenger finals in Buenos Aires and Campinas, both in 2021.
For his part, Lóndero struggled much less and in one hour and 31 minutes he eliminated the Spanish Roberto Carballés Baena (78), with segments of 6-2 and 6-4.
The 28-year-old tennis player from Jesús María will face the Spanish Albert Ramos Viñolas (32). In duels against each other, the native of Barcelona takes advantage by 2-1.
Another five Argentine players are registered for the Rio de Janeiro tournament, which Juan Martín Del Potro will not attend due to an injury to his right knee.
Buenos Aires Diego Schwartzman (15) will debut directly in the second round. Meanwhile, the Azuleño Federico Delbonis (42) will run into the Colombian Daniel Galán (113), whom he defeated in two sets in the only match between them: Challenger semifinal in Perugia 2019.
The Rosario Federico Coria (65) will have a risky inaugural commitment with the Chilean Christian Garín (20), whom he defeated 6-4, 4-6 and 6-2 in the last clash between them in Bastad 2021.
Facundo Bagnis (76) from Santa Fe will meet Italian Fabio Fognini (40), while Francisco Cerúndolo (107) from Buenos Aires will be the rival of Frenchman Benoit Paire (50).
The maximum favorite of the Brazilian contest, which will distribute prizes of 1,815,000 dollars, will be the Italian Matteo Berrettini, number 6 in the world.
