Tuesday, october 24nd, 2023.- One of Team Chile's top prospects for winning medals at the Pan American Games is the tennis player Tomás Barrios Vera (ATP 105), who began his quest to defend the Pan American final he reached in Lima 2019.

The local player, who was seeded second, was a clear favorite on paper as he made his debut in the second round of Santiago 2023 against Barbadian Darian King (ATP 475) on the Central Court of the National Stadium.

However, the representative from Barbados put up a strong fight against the Chilean, forcing the match into a third set. However, the final result, went in favor of the silver medalist from the previous Pan American Games, who clinched a tight 4-6, 6-3, and 7-5 victory after a lengthy two hours and 45 minutes of play.

Barrios looked erratic on the court in Santiago but managed to pull through thanks to the support of the local crowd, who rallied behind him during the most challenging moments.

The home player will face Jamaican Blaise Bicknell (ATP 426) in the round of 16, who defeated Paraguayan Martín Vergara (unranked) with scores of 3-6, 6-3, and 6-2.

In another notable match in the male’s draw, Colombian Adria Soriano (ATP 505) defeated Peruvian Gonzalo Bueno (ATP 393) with a score of 6-3, 6-4, while Mexican Ernesto Escobedo (ATP 359) triumphed over Dominican Peter Bertran (ATP 557) with scores of 6-1 and 6-3.

Additionally, in the female’s main draw, Brazilian Laura Pigossi (WTA 125) easily defeated Salvadoran Valentina Cruz with a double 6-0.

Written by Carlos Silva Rojas; translated by Andrés Castro / Photosport
Photo by Alex Diaz/Santiago 2023 / Photosport