Rio de Janeiro [Brazil], February 20 : Cameron Norrie began his Rio Open title defence with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Bolivian Hugo Dellien.
The second seed saved his sole break point and converted three of his seven chances to move to the second round of the ATP 500 in one hour and 22 minutes.
"Good sensations, good feelings on this court. You said it was pretty straightforward, but I was absolutely dripping sweat. So it's never easy out here," Norrie said in his on-court interview as quoted by ATP.
One year earlier, Norrie and Dellien began their ATP Head2Head series at the same event, when the eventual champion had to come back from a set down. According to ATP Stats, Norrie earned 84 per cent of his first-serve points in their second match to victory.
"I think I managed my service games really well. I served much better than last week and I was a bit more patient and knew I had to play point for point and really make the rallies a bit longer. I think I learned from from last week with that, and just happy to be back in Brazil," Norrie said.
Norrie will next play Chilean Tomas Barrios Vera, who eliminated Brazilian wild card Gustavo Heide 7-5, 6-3.
In other play, fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo defeated fellow Argentine Francisco Comesana 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 to end a three-match losing streak.
The two-time ATP Tour champion will meet Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round. Ramos-Vinolas, the previous No. 17 player in the ATP Rankings, defeated Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in two hours and 44 minutes.
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