Masters 1000 Canada: Three Argentine wins and one loss complete the first round

Four Argentine tennis players took to the hard courts of Montreal for the Masters 1000 Canada tournament, with three emerging victorious in their opening-round matches. Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, Sebastián Báez, and Thiago Tirante all secured wins to advance, while Román Burruchaga was eliminated after failing to capitalize on an early lead.

Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, ranked 52nd in the world, defeated Serbia's Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-2. The younger Cerúndolo brother, in his first appearance at the Canadian tournament, displayed a solid performance, breaking serve in the seventh game of the first set and securing two more breaks in the second to seal the match. He is set to face a formidable opponent in the next round: Norwegian Casper Ruud, a three-time Grand Slam finalist and former world No. 2.

Sebastián Báez also had a strong debut, overcoming Italy's Mattia Bellucci 7-5, 6-3. Despite a brief scare when his opponent broke back after Báez had a commanding 5-1 lead in the second set, the Argentine closed out the match. This marks Báez's first hard-court win in a tournament of this category since Indian Wells in March. He is scheduled to play against Belgium's Zizou Bergs.

Thiago Tirante battled for over two hours to defeat local player Duncan Chan 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3). Returning to the circuit after an abdominal injury, the 25-year-old Tirante demonstrated mental fortitude to overcome a challenging match against a qualifier. His powerful serve, reaching speeds of 238 km/h, indicated his recovery from injury.

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I am going little by little with my serve, but if I served at that speed, it means I am healthy again. I highlight the mental part, of being down and continuing to try despite not having the best sensations.