SAO LEOPOLDO/STARNBERG, April 2, 2026
Wednesday’s main-draw action at the Sao Leo Open featured a South American classic on Centre Court of the Sao Leopoldo Tenis Clube, as Brazil and Argentina squared off under the sun and intense heat.
After nearly four hours of an extraordinary battle, Brazilian wild card entry Paulo Saraiva Dos Santos emerged victorious over Argentina’s Lorenzo Joaquin Rodriguez in three sets, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(6), after three hours and 40 minutes of play.
The world No. 588 sent down nine aces and won 76 per cent of his first-service points. The win sends the 25-year-old Brasilia native into the quarterfinals of the ATP Challenger 75 event, where he will face Bolivia’s Murkel Dellien on Friday.
This is what it means to him 🔥
🇧🇷 Paulo Andre Saraiva Dos Santos battles past Rodriguez in a third-set tiebreak to reach the quarters in his home country.#ATPChallenger | Sao Leopoldo pic.twitter.com/2KDpDwYLNo
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) April 1, 2026
In other second-round action, Murkel’s older brother Hugo Delllien beat Gonzalo Villanueva of Argentina 7-6(2), 6-4. The No. 2 seed from Bolivia saved all three break points he faced and capitalized on one of his own five break point chances to advance in one hour and 52 minutes. Up next for Dellien will be sixth-seeded Argentine Lucas Midon.
