Joao Fonseca opened in Buenos Aires with an easy win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry and will face another Argentine, Federico Coria, on Thursday. Holger Rune will kick off his campaign against Mariano Navone.
Joao Fonseca vs. (LL) Federico Coria
Fonseca has the Rio de Janeiro ATP 500 in front of the home crowd coming up next week, but he does not appear to be looking ahead past the Argentina Open. The 18-year-old Brazilian erased Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday afternoon, improving to 14-2 in his last 16 matches dating back to his December triumph at the NextGen ATP Finals.
Up next for Fonseca on Thursday is a second-round matchup with Coria, who required a lucky-loser spot in the main draw. The 32-year-old Argentine got clobbered by Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-4 in the final round of qualifying but got a new lease on life in Buenos Aires when Jaume Munar withdrew. Coria capitalized on the opportunity by defeating Hugo Gaston in straight sets on Wednesday, but Fonseca is obviously a huge step up in competition level. The world No. 115 had not won an ATP-level match since last April to beating Gaston, so this should be an absolute beatdown.
Pick: Fonseca in 2
Mariano Navone vs. (2) Holger Rune
Rune has made the rare trip from European indoor hard courts to the Golden Swing. The 12th-ranked Dane advanced one round in Rotterdam but was dealing with an illness and got crushed by Pedro Martinez 6-4, 6-1. Fortunately for Rune, he doesn’t get underway in Buenos Aires until Thursday–so he has enjoyed a full week of rest.
Still, this isn’t an easy transition and facing Navone on a clay court in Argentina is about as difficult as it gets for a seeded player in round two of an ATP 250 tournament. Navone has the benefit of a match under his belt, too, having eased past fellow Argentine Francisco Comesana 6-4, 6-4 on Monday. The only previous meeting between these two competitors came last spring in Madrid, where Rune prevailed 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-4. That was an encouraging result for Navone in conditions that are too quick for his liking, so he has a great chance to get over the hump in front of his home fans against a vulnerable opponent.
Pick: Navone in 3
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The Fonz in 2; Rune in 3