Chilean tennis players Tomás Barrios and Christian Garín secured wins in the first round of the Montevideo Challenger, advancing to the second round. Barrios comfortably defeated Bolivian Juan Carlos Prado, while Garín overcame a tougher match against Argentine Andrea Collarini. Both aim to climb into the ATP top 100 for Australian Open qualification.
In the Montevideo Challenger 100 in Uruguay, Chilean representatives had a successful debut. Christian Garín, ranked 105 in the ATP, defeated Argentine Andrea Collarini (273°) 6-3, 7-5 in a match that lasted longer than expected due to windy conditions and multiple service breaks. In the first set, Garín broke in the fourth game to gain the edge. The second set was irregular, with alternating breaks in several games, but Garín secured a key break in the eleventh to clinch the win and climb to 102, just nine points from the top 100. This victory brings him closer to qualifying for the Australian Open main draw, where he might need to reach the semifinals or final depending on results. In the next round, he will face the winner between Argentine Álex Barrena (176°) and American Tristan Boyer (144°).
Meanwhile, Tomás Barrios (111°), the eighth seed and recent Lima champion, easily overcame Bolivian Juan Carlos Prado (228°) 6-4, 6-1 in 1 hour and 16 minutes. In the first set, Barrios took an early lead with a break in the second game to reach 3-0, withstood a Prado counter and closed with another break in the tenth game after 45 minutes. The second set started even, but Barrios broke in the fourth game and built his dominance to win 6-1. He comes from intense physical wear in Lima, where he played the longest match in Challenger history (4 hours and 24 minutes against Juan Bautista Torres). To enter the top 100 and secure Australia, Barrios would need to win the title, which would take him to 96. In the round of 16, he will face the winner between local Franco Roncadelli (366°) and Argentine Genaro Olivieri (221°).
These advances mark a crucial step for the Chileans in a tournament offering vital ranking points.