Tomás Barrios (ranked 134th) is looking to regain momentum in the final leg of his European clay court tour. After failing to qualify for the last round of the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, the Chilean tennis player entered the Challenger 100 Oeiras 4 in Portugal, where he made his debut on Monday with a victory over American Michael Zheng (ranked 149th), winning 6-4 and 6-4.
The match was not easy for the Chilean, but he managed to control the key moments. In the first set, he broke his opponent's serve in the fourth game, a lead he maintained until the ninth game, when his rival broke back. However, in the following game, the American couldn't handle the pressure and ultimately lost the set.
The second set followed a similar pattern, but this time it was Zheng who broke early. He was unable to consolidate the break, and Barrios immediately broke back. Shortly after, a lack of light forced the players to stop for a long time and switch courts to continue the match.
The match remained evenly balanced until the ninth game, when his opponent again failed to hold his serve at a crucial moment.
The Chilean will play again on Wednesday against the winner of the match between American Nishesh Basavaredy (ranked 154th) and Argentine Genaro Olivieri (ranked 214th).
Garin Makes His Debut
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Christian Garin (ranked 104th) will begin his defense of the title at the Portuguese challenger, where he will face Argentine Lautaro Mi…
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El Deportivo: The Chilean player defeated American Michael Zheng in two sets in a match that was interrupted due to lack of light and ultimately played on a different court. Tomás Barrios successfully advanced to the first round in Portugal. Photo: Challenger de Oeiras. Comments: Tomás Barrios (ranked 134th) is looking to regain momentum in the final leg of his European clay court tour. After being eliminated in the last round of the qualifying matches for the Masters 1000 in Rome, the Chilean tennis player entered the Challenger 100 in Oeiras 4, Portugal, where he made his debut on Monday with a victory over American Michael Zheng (ranked 149th) with scores of 6-4 and 6-4. The match was not easy for the Chilean player, but he managed to secure the win in the crucial moments. In the first set, he broke his opponent's serve in the fourth game, a lead he maintained until the ninth game when his rival broke back. However, in the following game, the American couldn't handle the pressure and ended up losing the set. The second set had a similar pattern, but this time it was Zheng who broke early. He was unable to consolidate the break, and Barrios immediately regained the advantage. Shortly after, a lack of light forced the players to stop for a long time and switch courts to continue the match. The score remained close until the ninth game, when his opponent again failed to hold his serve at a critical moment. The Chilean player will play again on Wednesday against the winner of the match between American Nishesh Basavaredy (ranked 154th) and Argentine Genaro Olivieri (ranked 214th). Garin Makes His Debut: Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Christian Garin (ranked 104th) will begin his defense of the title at the Portuguese challenger, where he will face Argentine Lautaro Midón (ranked 216th). The match is scheduled for 6:00 AM, Chilean time. Gago is coming off a second-round loss in Rome to Spanish player Alejandro Davidovich and is defending 50 points this week, so a good performance is crucial to avoid dropping in the rankings and, hopefully, returning to the top 100. In Valencia, Alejandro Tabilo received a bye in the first round of the Challenger 175 in the Spanish city, so he is waiting for an opponent for his debut, which will take place on Thursday. More about: Tennis, Challenger de Oeiras, Tomás Barrios, Michael Zheng, Christian Garin. NEWSLETTER: El Deportivo, Monday, 8:45 AM: A special selection with coverage and analysis of the most important sporting events of the weekend, by the sports team of La Tercera. By subscribing, you accept the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policies of La Tercera.