Conner Huertas del Pino He returned to the circuit with a solid victory after beating the Argentine Ignacio Monzón (700th ATP) in the round of 32 of the Saints Challengera contest held on clay in São Paulo, Brazil. The Peruvian, currently ranked 777 in the world ranking, won in straight sets 6-4 and 7-5, in a duel that lasted 1 hour and 54 minutes and in which he showed greater solidity in key moments.
On the field, Huertas del Pino knew capitalize on opportunities in decisive gamesshowing notable consistency in the closing of each set. With this victory, the Peruvian continues to add competitive rhythm and confidence, fundamental factors for his consolidation in the ATP professional circuit.
The next challenge for Huertas del Pino will be to face the Uruguayan Franco Roncadelli (274th ATP), the second best seed in the tournament and favorite by ranking. The matchup is scheduled for Thursday May 8although the schedule has not yet been confirmed by the organization.
The history between the two favors Conner, who leads the direct duels by 2-0; However, these meetings date back to 2021 and 2020 in ITF competitions, so the current context is different and Roncadelli arrives with a better position in the ranking and greater consistency in the season.
The victory of Huertas del Pino has left him as the only Peruvian representative racing in the Santos Challenger. Your brother, Arklon Huertas del Pinowas eliminated in the second round of the qualifying phase. Arklon fell to the Brazilian Rafael Tosetto in a disputed match, with a final score of 6-3, 1-6 and 6-4 in favor of the local team, so they could not access the main draw.
For its part, Juan Pablo Varillasthe third national racket, also failed to advance in the tournament. In his debut in the first round, Varillas was beaten by the American Ryan Dickerson by 7-5 and 6-3. The Lima native had started the first set well with a break of serve, but Dickerson recovered ground and came back to close the set in his favor. In the second set, Varillas could not maintain his level and ended up losing the match.
The early departure of the other national representatives has focused exclusively on the performance of Conner Huertas del Pinowho will try to continue the Peruvian campaign on Brazilian soil and score important points to climb positions in the world ranking.
As to Gonzalo Buenothe young Peruvian tennis player remains off the courts due to an injury, the specific diagnosis of which has not yet been revealed. Bueno, who had just reached the final at the Campinas Challenger, was forced to retire at the Santa Cruz Challenger 75 when he lost to the Chilean Matias Soto. Since then, physical discomfort has prevented him from resuming competition.
Despite his current absence, Bueno maintains the expectation of returning to the circuit in the coming weeks. It should be noted that the Peruvian is registered to compete in the qualifying phase of Roland Garrosone of the top objectives in the clay season. The evolution of his recovery will be decisive in confirming his presence in the French Grand Slam.
Meanwhile, the Peruvian role in the Santos Challenger falls to Conner Huertas del Pino, who will seek to continue advancing and add experience in his return to the professional circuit after overcoming a period of inactivity that tested his resilience and determination.
