Monday, November 20th, 2023.- Four players have already secured their spots in the quarterfinals of the Open category in the male's wheelchair tennis at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games. 

During the Monday afternoon session, the American Conner Stroud defeated Canada's Venus Thomas 6-3, 6-1, while Brazilian Daniel Rodrigues overcame Colombia's Eliecer Oquendo with double 6-2, joining the list opened by Argentina's Gustavo Fernández in the morning. 

The world number three and winner of eight Grand Slam titles (five in singles and three in doubles), as well as the owner of five Parapan American gold medals in singles and doubles at Guadalajara 2011, Toronto 2015, and Lima 2019, confirmed his favoritism by defeating Chile's Bryan Tapia 6-1, 6-2 in just 49 minutes. 

In the quarterfinals, Fernández will face Costa Rican José Pablo Gil, who beat Ecuador's Eduardo López 6-4, 6-0. 

In the quad mixed category, the pairs for the round of the top eight are already set. 

Chile's Diego Pérez defeated Argentina's Leandro Bas with a double 6-1, and on Tuesday, he will face Canada's Robert Shaw, ninth in the world and the second seed in Santiago 2023, who had a bye in the first phase. 

Brazil's Leandro Pena defeated Colombia's Albeiro Moreno 6-0, 6-0 and will face the top-seeded player in the tournament, the United States' David Wagner, third in the world, who also enters this stage directly. 

Additionally, after defeating Ecuador's Edison Molina 6-2, 6-3, Canada's Mitch McIntyre will face Chile's Francisco Cayuleff, while Colombia's Daniel Campaz, who beat the United States' Andrew Bogdanov 6-4, 6-2, will play against the Brazilian Manitou Silva. 

Para tennis players use specially designed wheelchairs for this sport. The competition includes singles and doubles in two sports classes: Open, which corresponds to athletes with physical disabilities with impairment in the lower extremity and who meet the sport's eligibility criteria, and Quad, which involves athletes with a disability affecting the hand that holds the racket, as well as in their lower extremities. 

Written by Macarena Navias-Carolina Riquelme; translated by Paulette Bertín / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Ph: Javier Vergara / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport