Briton Cameron Norrie made a perfect start to his Rio Open presented by Claro title defence Monday, when he defeated Bolivian Hugo Dellien 6-3, 6-2.
The second seed saved the only break point he faced and converted three of his seven opportunities to advance to the second round of the ATP 500 after one hour and 22 minutes.
“Good sensations, good feelings on this court,” Norrie said in his on-court interview. “You said it was pretty straightforward, but I was absolutely dripping sweat. So it's never easy out here.”
Just call him Cam Confident 😤@cam_norrie starts his road to a Rio repeat in stellar fashion 6-3 6-2 over Hugo Dellien.@RioOpenOficial | #RioOpen pic.twitter.com/6HCyRxWOxV
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 19, 2024
One year ago, Norrie and Dellien opened their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at the same event, where the eventual champion needed to rally from a set down. According to Infosys ATP Stats, Norrie won 84 per cent of his first-serve points in their second clash to triumph.
“I think I managed my service games really well,” said Norrie, who lost his opening match last week in Buenos Aires to Federico Coria. “I served much better than last week and I was a bit more patient and knew I had to play point for point and really make the rallies a bit longer. I think I learned from from last week with that, and just happy to be back in Brazil.”
Norrie will next play Chilean Tomas Barrios Vera, who eliminated Brazilian wild card Gustavo Heide 7-5, 6-3.
In other action, fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo snapped a three-match losing streak with a 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 victory against fellow Argentine Francisco Comesana.
The two-time ATP Tour titlist will face Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round. The former No. 17 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Ramos-Vinolas clawed past Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 after two hours and 44 minutes.
Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild thrilled his home crowd by rallying past Chilean Alejandro Tabilo 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. He will play Spaniard Jaume Munar, who dismissed eighth seed Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-1.
Sixth seed Laslo Djere, the 2019 Rio de Janeiro champion, moved on with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles.
