Djere Cruises Past Sousa In Santiago Opener

Laslo Djere maintained his perfect first-round record for 2023 with a comfortable victory against Joao Sousa on Tuesday at the Movistar Chile Open.

The sixth-seeded Serbian prevailed 6-3, 6-2 at the clay-court ATP 250 and has now won all six opening matches he has played at Tour-level this season. Djere broke Sousa’s serve three times and did not face a break point in his 78-minute triumph, which booked him a second-round assignment against Italian qualifier Riccardo Bonadio.

Both of Djere’s ATP Tour titles (Rio de Janeiro in 2019 and Sardinia in 2020) were won on clay. The 27-year-old is competing at the Santiago tournament for the second time after he reached the quarter-finals in 2021.

Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Dusan Lajovic also enjoyed comprehensive first-round victories on Tuesday in the Chilean capital. Etcheverry took out former World No. 9 Fabio Fognini 6-1, 7-6(1) for a personal-best fourth tour-level win of the year. The 23-year-old next takes on second seed Francisco Cerundolo.

Lajovic defeated qualifier Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-1, 6-3, the pair’s second meeting in three weeks after the Serbian also prevailed in straight sets in Buenos Aires. Lajovic takes on qualifier Juan Manuel Cerundolo for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Thiago Monteiro also reached the second round with a 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 upset of fifth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas. The Brazilian claimed a topsy-turvy deciding set featuring five breaks of serve to earn a second-round meeting with Facundo Bagnis or Marco Cecchinato.