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Marin Cilic, Fernando Verdasco advance to Rio Open tennis second round
Marin Cilic cruised past qualifier Carlos Berlocq while Fernando Verdasco defeated Leonardo Mayer in the Rio Open tennis tournament on Monday.
Marin Cilic and Fernando Verdasco moved into the Rio Open second round on a good day for the seeds on Monday.
Cilic, the top seed at the ATP 500 event played on clay in Brazil, cruised past qualifier Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-2.
The Croatian, playing his first tournament since his runner-up finish at the Australian Open, did not drop serve, breaking three times to win in an hour and 19 minutes.
The eighth-seeded Verdasco was pushed but got past Leonardo Mayer 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to make it four wins in as many meetings with the Argentinian.
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Fabio Fognini, the 2015 runner-up and fifth seed, survived a huge scare, incredibly coming from a set and 4-0 down to edge Thomaz Bellucci 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-2, making it five wins in as many meetings with the Brazilian.
Albert Ramos-Vinolas, the fourth seed, also progressed after overcoming Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
Meanwhile, Ecuador Open champion Roberto Carballes Baena retired in his first-round match when trailing Tennys Sandgren 4-6 6-1 4-3.
Runner-up in 2016, Guido Pella made an early exit, beaten by lucky loser Gastao Elias 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, while Nicolas Jarry beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3 7-6 (7-3).
