Vina del Mar Tennis Update – (02/01/12)

Written by: Staff on 1st February 2012

Vina del Mar Tennis Update - (02/01/12)

Carlos Berlocq of Argentina in action in his men's round one match against Jesse Huta Galung of Netherlands during the first day of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 16 January 2012. The first tennis Grand Slam in 2012 runs 16 to 29 January. EPA/HOW HWEE YOUNG |

Singles – First Round: (5) A Montanes def. R Ramirez Hidalgo (Q) 6-2 6-4

Albert Montanes is out of the Top Fifty and slipping, but clay obviously helped a lot….

Singles – First Round: (7) C Berlocq def. D Gimeno-Traver 7-5 6-0

Last year, Carlos Berlocq didn’t score his first win until the second week of February. This year, he has won his opener at all three of his events. Sounds promising….

Singles – First Round: R Dutra Silva (Q) def. M Gonzalez 0-6 7-6(7-3) 6-3

Maximo Gonzalez had better start preparing for Challengers — he hasn’t won a match since Monte Carlo 2011.

Singles – First Round: F Gil def. P Lorenzi 6-3 5-7 6-1

Paolo Lorenzi remains winless in 2012.

Singles – First Round: H Zeballos def. A Ungur 6-0 7-5

Adrian Ungur has been pushing toward the Top Hundred — he is up to #107 — but obviously won’t make it just yet.

Singles – First Round: J Chardy def. E Prodon 6-4 6-3

Eric Prodon will remain stuck below #100. Doesn’t he know that Frenchmen prefer fast courts?

Singles – First Round: D Junquiera (Q) def. R Mello 6-4 6-2

Ricardo Mello came in just below #102, and this presumably means that he won’t be making it back to the Top Hundred. Amazing how many players here we’ve said that about.

Singles – First Round: F Gonzalez (WC) def. P Riba 6-4 6-4

We had wondered if Fernando Gonzalez was really ready to come back, but evidently he’s in better shape than we thought. And he certainly has lots of slots to add points! This win alone will take him from #290 to around #270.

Singles – First Round: F Delbonis (Q) def. N Massu (WC) 6-0 6-3

Nicolas Massu is, frankly, just about done. His ranking is down to #503. His only ATP event last year was Santiago. Vina del Mar will probably be his only event of 2012. He hasn’t won a match since Houston 2010. Hard to tell which is more sad — that he went out there and got kicked like this, or that Chile still doesn’t have anyone other than Gonzalez, Massu, and Capdeville to offer as wildcards.

Doubles – First Round: (2) Cabal/Farah def. Lorenzi/Volandri 6-2 5-7 10-6 (Match TB)

Doubles – First Round: (4) Andujar/Berlocq def. Prodon/Ungur 6-2 3-6 10-7 (Match TB)