BRAGA/STARNBERG, September 20, 2022
The top two seeds of the €45,730 Braga Open started their title bids with first-round wins on Tuesday. Nuno Borges, top-ranked player in the singles draw at the fourth edition of the ATP Challenger Tour 80 clay-court tournament hosted by Clube Ténis Braga, defeated Italian Gian Marco Moroni 6-3, 6-4.
Borges won 54 per cent of the total points played to prevail after one hour and 40 minutes. The 25-year-old Portuguese backs up his good results at the US Open, where he battled through the qualifying and reached the second round, a run that lifted him to World No. 93 in the ATP Rankings.
It wasn’t always pretty, but top seed Nuno Borges overcomes Gian Marco Moroni 6-3, 6-4 to reach #BragaOpen R2. pic.twitter.com/R9Vh0C16sY
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) September 20, 2022
“I’m surprised by the way I felt on the court. I thought I would have more problems adapting as I came from the Davis Cup, playing on a totally different surface,” said Borges.
“But I feel I did a good job. I felt physically and mentally good. I played solid from start to finish at a good level. There are some details to improve, but I am very satisfied with my start into the tournament.”
Borges, a former college standout at Mississippi State, will next play Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida of Brazil, who edged past German qualifier Jeremy Jahn 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 39 minutes.
Earlier in the day, Carlos Taberner fought past Portuguese veteran Gastao Elias 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. The second-seeded Spaniard capitalized on seven of his 11 break-point chances to secure victory in two hours and 46 minutes. Taberner will next take on his compatriot Nikolas Sanchez Izquierdo, who beat Frederico Ferreira Silva from Portugal 6-2, 7-5 in one hour and 31 minutes.
2nd seed Carlos Taberner survives a 2h46 battle with Gastão Elias, beating the Portuguese 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the @ATPChallenger #BragaOpen R2. pic.twitter.com/K6aryhMHwj
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) September 20, 2022
In other action, Jelle Sels knocked out third favourite Franco Agamenone of Italy 6-3, 7-6(7). The 27-year-old Dutch broke his rival’s serve four times to succeed in two hours and eight minutes. Sels will next face local wild card entry Goncalo Oliveira, a 6-1, 7-6(3) winner over French qualifier Ugo Blanchet. The encounter lasted one hour and 52 minutes.
