ATP: King of Quito: Estrella Burgos aims for fourth consecutive title

Victor Estrella Burgos has successfully started in mission title defence at the Ecuador Open in Quito by beating favourite opponent Thomaz Bellucci in three sets.

The love story between Victor Estrella Burgos and the clay court tournament in Ecuador continues. The 37-year-old veteran from the Dominican Republic is the only player in tennis history to have won three titles at one event and not a trophy at another ATP tournament.

Now Estrella Burgos wants to be on the winner’s list for the fourth edition of the ATP World Tour 250 tournament. Against the opening opponent Thomaz Bellucci, the world rankings-86 won. with 4:6,6:4,6:4,6:2 and now stands up to 16:0 victories in the world’s highest capital city.

The Brazilian, whose five-month ban on doping due to the consumption of a diuretic on 1 January 2008, is not effective. Quito had already lost three matches against the man from the Caribbean island in the semi-finals in 2015,2017 and the final in 2016.

It was also Estrella Burgos’ first win this season, having only won five games in total in Doha (against Richard Gasquet) and Melbourne (Rafael Nadal). In the round of sixteen, there could be a duel with Gerald Melzer. But the Austrian number two would have to get rid of the Italian Marco Cecchinato on Tuesday.

For the #NextGen hopes of Corentin Moutet and Caspar Ruud, the prelude has already taken place as desired. While the 18-year-old Frenchman had to go the full distance for his first ATP match win of his career, the 19-year-old Norwegian won in two sets against “Oldie” Carlos Berlocq.

Here is the single panel in Quito