Tennis Season Begins with Mixed Results for Argentine Players

With the arrival of the new year and the start of the tennis season, which does not take a vacation even to celebrate the end of 2017, tournaments taking place in different parts of the world have already begun.

It was not a smooth start for Argentine tennis players. Although some managed to advance to the second round of the tournaments they are currently competing in, others began 2018 on a bitter note.

Nicolás Kicker was eliminated in the first round of the Pune Open in India after losing to Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 6-0 and 6-3 in 55 minutes of play.

This is the sixth consecutive first-round exit for the player from Merlo, currently ranked 95th in the world, who will have to rethink his goals for this long 2018 season.

In Brisbane, a tournament that attracts a lot of attention as it serves as a warm-up for the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open, there were also ups and downs.

While Mar del Plata native Horacio Zeballos (66) defeated American Ernesto Escobedo 6-3 and 6-4, Corrientes-born Leo Mayer (52) fell to American Ryan Harrison 6-4, 3-6, and 6-2.

The same fate befell "Peque" Schwartzman, who lost to Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 4-6 and 5-7 (3) in one hour and 34 minutes.

We have yet to see how Azul native Federico Delbonis (68) will fare in the tournament. He is the only Argentine player who has not yet made his debut and will face American Michael Mmoh (175) in his first match.