Marterer’s Next Task In Buenos Aires: Beat Thiem

Germany’s Maximilian Marterer will try to do what no man has done before at the Argentina Open: beat Dominic Thiem. The left-hander secured a second-round meeting with Thiem after dismissing local qualifier Facundo Bagnis 6-4, 6-2 on Monday evening in Buenos Aires.

Marterer broke in the third game and sailed the rest of the way, never facing a break point against the 28-year-old, No. 148 in the ATP Rankings. Thiem and Marterer faced off at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle in 2017, a 7-5, 6-3 win for Thiem. The top-seeded Austrian is 9-0 in his two appearances in the Argentine capital, including a semi-final win over Rafael Nadal in 2016.

Elsewhere on Monday, Italian qualifier Lorenzo Sonego upset sixth seed Nicolas Jarry, the 2018 Brasil Open finalist, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3. Sonego, 23, will play Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena or Taro Daniel of Japan for a place in the quarter-finals.

Christian Garin of Chile rallied from down a set and a break to outlast #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. His reward is a battle with third seed Marco Cecchinato of Italy in the second round. Fittingly, their only previous meeting came four years ago in the qualifying rounds at Buenos Aires, a match won by the Italian in straight sets.

Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas, 2017 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters finalist (l. to Nadal), ended Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva’s run 6-3, 6-4. Ramos-Vinolas will meet either countryman David Ferrer or eighth seed Malek Jaziri.