Argentino was champion of the tournament in 2016 and in the main draw of 2021 he left his compatriot Sebastián Báez on the road.
The Argentine tennis player Nicolás Kicker defeated his compatriot Sebastián Báez, with partials of 7-6 (3), 4-6 and 7-5, in a high-level match of the round of 32, with which the initial day was fulfilled. from the main draw of the seventeenth edition of the Guayaquil Challenger.
Kicker, champion of the tournament in 2016, and Báez staged a tough battle for 2 hours 54 minutes on Monday, according to the organization in a press release.
“Broken, totally broken.” Those were the first words of the winner when asked how he felt after the match. “It was a very tough game, with a lot of intensity. He (Báez) has been having an incredible year, he won a lot of Challengers. If it was not for him ranking, that they frozen it (until last August, due to the sporting consequences of the pandemic), it should be 70 in the world, calm. And, well, happy about the victory today (Monday). Very hard game, very tight, many chances for both of us, it was a battle ”.
In the final set, Kicker (222 ranked in the ATP rankings) took a 5-2 lead. It seemed to close the match, but Báez pressed and managed to match the actions, giving the impression that the comeback could have been made in favor of the young tennis player (112 of the ranking), winner of five Challengers this year.
However, Kicker, far from lowering his arms, endured and went back into the meeting. He did not despair and played it in the twelfth second game of the final set to hit his fourth match ball.
“I was suspended for two years and eight months (since June 2018, indicated for match fixing). It was a long wait, but here we are, enjoying this sport. So, nothing, happy to be here again and to have won ”, added the winner, who until noon this Tuesday was waiting for a new rival.
Other results from day 1
Although on Monday, on the initial day of the main draw of the Guayaquil Challenger, the qualifiers were finished (qualy), the round of 32 threw its first winners, more than Kicker.
Barbadian Darian King beat Ecuadorian Álvaro Guillén (0-6, 6-3, 6-4); the Dutch Jesper De Jong, the Argentine Guido Andreozzi (retired; until then 3-6, 7-6 (4)); and Colombian Daniel Galán to his compatriot Nicolás Mejía (6-2, 7-5).
The first round of the main draw of the Buenos Aires Challenger continues this Tuesday. Until noon, the matches left as winners the Colombian Alejandro González (6-2 and 6-4 over the Canadian Alexis Galarneau), the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo (6-4 and 6-2 over the Spanish Jaume Munar), the Bolivian Hugo Dellien (6-4 and 6-2 over Serbian Pedja Krstin), Argentine Facundo Suárez (3-6, 6-4 and 6-4 over Argentine Facundo Díaz), Portuguese Goncalo Oliveira (6-3 and 7- 6 (1) over the Panamanian Robert Cid) and the Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo (5-7, 6-2 and 6-3 over the Czech Vit Kopriva).
On Wednesday the round of 16 games of the contest will begin, which will run until Sunday, November 7 at the Guayaquil Tennis Club Annex. (D)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
