Santos (SP) – The only Brazilian to have passed the opening round of the Santos Brasil Tennis Cup, Pedro Sakamoto said goodbye in the round of 16 of the tournament played on the clay courts of the Tênis Clube. Sakamoto, 30 years old and 300th in the world, was surpassed this Wednesday by Argentine Gonzalo Villanueva, 427th placed, with splits of 3/6, 6/2 and 6/3 in 2h21 of departure.
Seeded 8th in the tournament, Sakamoto receives four ATP points for beating 15-year-old Luis Augusto Miguel from Goiás in the opening round. The experienced São Paulo native’s best career ranking is 284th place, achieved in 2020. Villanueva will have an Argentine duel against 2nd seed Santiago Taverna.
Two other Argentines advanced to the quarterfinals, Hernan Casanova beat Kazakh Dmitry Popko, the tournament’s top seed, 6/4 and 7/6 (7-5). He faces Juan Bautista Torres, tormentor of the Ecuadorian Alvaro Guillen Meza, seed 5, by 7/6 (7-2), 5/7 and 6/0.
Boscardin and Zanellato play the quarterfinals in doubles
In doubles, Santa Catarina’s Pedro Boscardin and Kazakh Dmitry Popko beat local guests Raí de Araújo and Lucas Ranciaro 6/3 and 6/0. They face the Israeli Roy Stepanov and the Colombian Andres Urrea, seeds 3, who beat the juveniles Guto Miguel and João Prudêncio by double 6/2.
Nicolas Zanellato from São Paulo and the American Bruno Kuzuhara, son of Brazilians, beat Enrique Bogo and Rafael Tosetto by 6/2 and 7/5. The opponents in the quarterfinals will be Argentines Leonardo and Valerio Aboian. José Pereira, from Pernambuco, reported a back injury and withdrew from the pair with Wilson Leite from Rio. They would face Argentines Franco Ribero and Juan Bautista Torres.
The Santos Brasil Tennis Cup, is back on the coast of São Paulo and is presented by the Federal Sports Incentive Law of the Ministry of Sports, with the co-sponsorship of Trinity, Stella Artois Pure Gold, Azul Linhas Aéreas – Transportadora Oficial, Alupar, Taesa, Aberje, INNI Sports – Ball and Official Clothing. AppTicket support. The event is held at the Tênis Clube de Santos, and is part of the ATP Challenger Tour world calendar. It is organized by the Sports Institute.
