Defending champion Juan Ignacio Londero and Albert Ramos-Vinolas advanced to the last 16 at the Cordoba Open in Argentina on Tuesday.
Cordoba was the scene of the 26-year-old Londero’s breakthrough win on the ATP Tour last year. The tall Argentine, who has been tennis professional since 2013, capped a fairytale week by overcoming fellow countryman Guido Pella in three sets.
It is noteworthy that Londero was playing only courts when he had his best finish in a Grand Slam event was when he reached the 4th-round in last year’s French Open – on clay courts
Back on the red clay following a first-round loss on hard courts at the Australian Open in January, eighth seed Londero defeated Italy’s Marco Cecchinato 6-2 7-5.
Playing in the night session, he did not face a single break point. He also won 70 per cent of his first serves, much to the delight of the home crowd at the ATP 250 tournament.
Cashin is next up for Londero
Next up for Londero is fellow Argentine Pedro Cachin, who crushed Hugo Dellien 6-1 6-1 in just 58 minutes.
Cashin won’t find things so easy against Londero. With odds of -420 as against the +350 of Cashin (Unibet), Londero is unlikely to lose this one.
Spanish fifth seed Ramos-Vinolas beat local qualifier Facundo Bagnis 6-4 7-6 (7-3), despite wasting a match point at 6-5 in the second set.
It will be an all-Spanish affair in the last 16 after Pablo Andujar accounted for Filip Horansky 6-2 6-2.
Elsewhere, Jaume Munar (6-4 6-3 against Leonardo Mayer), and Andrej Martin (7-6 [7-5] 6-4 over Federico Coria), also progressed to the next round.
So too did Pedro Martinez (4-6 6-3 6-4 against Federico Gaio) and Corentin Moutet (6-4 6-3 over Thiago Monteiro).