SANTIAGO, March 9, 2016
The lone clay court event on the ATP Challenger Tour this week is taking place in Santiago de Chile with the 11th edition of the $ 50,000 Cachantun Cup, held at Club Manquehue.
The first round concluded on Tuesday with the tournament’s top-seed Facundo Bagnis, winning his opening match against local wild card Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-2, 6-4. The world number 95 from Argentina saved all nine break points he faced, converting three of his own to advance after 80 minutes. Bagnis will take on fellow countryman Tomas Lipovsek Puches next.
Third seed Rogerio Dutra Silva had no problems in his opening encounter, winning 6-0, 6-1 against Michael Linzer. The 32-year-old Brazilian won 86% of his first service points and broke his opponent’s serve five times to finsish the match after one hour and four minutes. Dutra Silva will play Jose Hernandez-Fernandez next.
Christian Garin
38-year-old Spaniard Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo won the “battle of the generations” with Chilean young gun Christian Garin, who is only half of his age. The teenager captured his first ITF Future title this season in Cartagena two weeks ago and received a wild card into the Challenger in Santiago, but lost the match in 3-6, 6-2, 4-6 in two hours and four minutes. Ramirez Hidalgo will face fourth seed Maximo Gonzalez next. The Argentine defeated Jordi Samper-Montana 6-4, 6-2.
On Monday, second seed Roberto Carballés-Baena cruised past Argentine qualifier Federico Coria 6-2, 6-3. The world number 107 from Spain saved two of the four break points he faced, converting six of his own to advance after 74 minutes. Carballés-Baena will take on Juan Ignacio Londero next, who ousted Jose Pereira 7-5, 6-3.
Sixth seed Facundo Arguello had no problems to reach the second round, gaining a comfortable 6-1, 6-0 victory over Pedro Sakamoto in only 53 minutes. The 23-year-old Argentine will play Brazilian wild card Thiago Monteiro next.
Eighth seed Guilherme Clezar battled past Adrien Puget 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. The world number 173 from Brazil withstood nine aces, hitting three of his own to prevail in one hour and 48 minutes. Clezar will play with Mathias Bourgue another Frenchman in the second round. Bourgue beat Oriol Roca Batalla 7-6, 6-4.
