Verdasco stays at the gates and Andújar goes to the quarterfinals in Rio

Argentine tennis player Federico Coria won this Wednesday in the round of 16 of the Rio de Janeiro Open by 7-6 (2), 4-6 and 6-4 against the Spanish Fernando Verdasco and advanced to the quarterfinals of the only ATP 500 tournament in South America, an instance that he also reached last week in Argentina. Coria, number 63 in the ATP ranking, needed three hours and a minute of a very close and close match to eliminate Verdasco from the Brazilian tournament, currently 172 in the ranking but who became the seventh best in the world in 2009.

This was the first time that the 29-year-old Argentine, was measured in an ATP tournament against the Spanish, 38 and one of the oldest tennis players still active in the world. Both landed in Rio de Janeiro after being eliminated last week in the quarterfinals of the Argentina Open. The younger brother of Guillermo Coria will meet in the quarterfinals in Rio the winner of the duel between the Spanish Pablo Carreño (18 ATP), fourth favorite in Brazil, and the Italian Fabio Fognini (38 ATP).

Coria advanced to the round of 16 after having eliminated Chilean Cristian Garín (19 ATP) on Tuesday, who was the fifth favorite in the Brazilian tournament and the last champion of the Rio Open (2020). Verdasco, who played the Brazilian tournament with a protected ranking due to injuries that prevented him from playing last yearwas a finalist in Rio de Janeiro in 2018 and hoped to continue advancing in the Brazilian tournament to try to score points in the classification and earn the right to play in the major tournaments.

The man from Madrid only got the 45 points he received for the victory he won on Tuesday by 2-0, with partial 7-6 (7-4) and 6-3, over Serbian Dusan Lajovic (39 ATP). In a fairly close and even first round, which lasted for an hour and 8 minutes, both rivals confirmed all their services and had to define the result in a tie-break, in which Coria was much more effective and opened a 4-0 lead, ending up winning the set 7-6 with a 7 -2 in the tiebreaker.

In the second, the Argentine managed to break the Spaniard’s second serve and it seemed that he would get an easy victory, but the Madrid native responded immediately to level the score (2-2). The set remained even until the man from Madrid, when he was winning 5-4, managed to break his rival’s last serve, win the set 6-4 and provisionally tie the match.

In the decisive set, equality was maintained until Coria took advantage of two mistakes by the Spaniard and broke his last serve to open a 5-4 lead, with which he only had to confirm his, despite the fact that he was losing the ‘game’ by 40-0, to win the sleeve 6-4 and the match 2-1. The ninth edition of the Rio de Janeiro tournament, suspended in 2021 due to the covid pandemic, It will be held until next Sunday on the clay courts of the Brazilian Jockey Club of Rio de Janeiro.

Carreño can not with Fognini

the italian tennis player Fabio Fognini expired this wednesday for 2-1 a Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round of the Rio de Janeiro Open, with partial 5-7, 6-4 and 6-3, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the only ATP 500 tournament in South America, in which will measure the Argentine Federico Coria. Fognini, number 38 in the ATP international ranking and who was finalist of the brazilian tournament in 2015 Y semi-finalist in 2018, needed exact three hours to beat Carreño (18 ATP) and leave his fourth favorite out of the Brazilian tournament.

The tennis player born in Gijón 30 years ago, who was also a finalist in Rio de Janeiro but in 2017, suffered a unexpected setback After the good performance of the last year, which allowed him to win two titles last year (the ATP 500 in Hamburg and the ATP 250 in Marbella), as well as the medal of bronze in the Tokyo Olympics.

The Spaniard also saw Fognini reduce the advantage he had gained in matches between the two, as he now has seven wins in nine games. But the previous victory was also for the Italian, who won the Australian Open last year.

Carreno wasted the advantage of having directly classified for the round of 16 in Rio due to his status as favorite roomwhile Fognini had to face Argentine Facundo Bagnis (77 ATP) on Tuesday in the first round, whom he defeated 6-2, 6-4.

In a first sleeve couple, the español just managed to open advantage in the last two gamesafter the 5-5 tie, and won the set 7-5 after breaking Fognini’s last serve and confirming his own. The equality was maintained at second set until the Italian broke the Spanish’s fifth serve and opened a 5-4 lead, that allowed him to prevail in the manga for 6-4 when confirming your service.

The italian started better the third sleeve breaking Carreño’s first service, who immediately paid his opponent with the same coin. But Fognini showed better physique in the last set, which ended winning 6-3.

Andújar wins against Ramos and Schwartzman leaves Martínez out

Pablo Andujar won this Monday by 2-1 to the also Spanish Albert Ramos in round of 16 of Rio Open de Janeiro, with partial 7-5, 5-7 and 6-3, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the only ATP 500 tournament in South America. Andújar, number 74 in the international classification of the ATP, needed three hours and 12 minutes to beat Ramos (33 ATP), the eighth favorite in the Brazilian tournament, and raised his record of victories with the Catalan.

both have measured ten times and the 36-year-old tennis player from Cuenca now adds seven wins against three defeats against Barcelona, ​​34 years old. Despite that record, Ramos had won the last two games (in Gstaad in 2019 and in Córdoba in 2020).

Andújar classified for second time to a quarter-final in Rio de Janeiro, an instance he had already reached in 2014, and frustrated Ramos’ attempt to reach his third time among the top eight in the competition after achieving it in 2017 and 2019.

The Cuenca tennis player will have to be measured next Friday in the quarterfinals against the Argentine Diego Schwartzman (14 ATP), the third favorite in Rio de Janeiro, who surpassed the Spanish Peter Martinez (62 ATP) for a double 6-1 after an hour and a half of the game. Andújar reached the round of 16 after having eliminated on Monday 2-1 in the first round, with partials 7-6 (2) and 7-5, Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas (104 ATP), champion of the Rio Open in 2016.

Ramos, This year he won the title of Cordoba Openhad qualified for the round of 16 after defeating Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero (144 ATP) in the first round on Tuesday 6-3, 6-4.

Andujar gave samples of his best moment since the beginning of the game this Wednesday and broke the first service to the rival to be placed in 2-0 leadbut Ramos managed to recover and maintain the equality until 5-5. The one from Cuenca was much superior in the last two games and not only confirmed his serve as he broke Ramos’s to prevail in the sleeve by 7-5.

In the second sleeve Andújar started with more force and came to open a 4-1 leadbut Ramos finally reactedcame back and won the set by 7-5.

In a very intense and disputed tercer set, the Catalan kept up the pace and broke Andújar’s first serve, who immediately paid him back with the same coin. Ramos took the lead again by breaking the opponent’s third serve and received the same response. But Andújar came back and managed to open a 5-3 lead before confirming your service and win the sleeve 6-3 and the match 2-1.

Check here all the results of the tournament