The country’s number four won in two sets in a duel marked by problems on the main court and by the tension of a questionable ball which meant the definitive break for Tomi.
Tomás Barrios (111°) raises his fist in the Chilean duel at the ATP in Santiago. That of Chillán beat Christian Garin (83rd) 7-6(3) and 7-5, in a match marked once again by the problems of the central court of San Carlos de Apoquindo.
Now without the exhausting afternoon heat of the capital, the Chilean three and four faced off in the first round of the ATP in Santiago. For Garin, a tournament without expectations, as he announced a few days ago. But for Barrios, it’s a great chance to beat the country’s most successful tennis player over the past ten years.
A game of styles, in a match marked by the unusual chance to see these national teams compete on the ATP circuit. It started smoothly, but quickly with Garin’s complaints about the state of the court. First because of a hole at the back of the field, which had to be filled in the middle of the third match. Then because of a bad bounce that hit him with a ball inside the court.
Discomfort which continued throughout the match for Gago, who even kicked the ball on one occasion at the end of the match. “That doesn’t help Christian much,” the referee told him afterwards.
Barrios, for his part, avoided getting confused with the track and even sought to take advantage of it at the start. The lack of compactness made it difficult for Gago to get off the ground quickly and Chillan punished whenever he could with cuts.
So the first set stood out for the annoyance, but also for the breakages. Four penalties in the first seven games. Lack of control which calmed down until decisive game. Barrios started 3-1 and, despite a double fault, managed to seal the set 7-3. Frustrated, Garin even blamed his advice box on the last point. He gestured with his thumb to indicate that nothing was happening in the foothills.
Tense ending
And this discomfort has not disappeared for the former world number 17. Between the boredom of the field and that of the game, Gago’s stay in San Carlos was to be forgotten. We never saw him having fun and even when he was in the middle of a struggle, he felt like he couldn’t find answers or peace.
Everything got worse at the end of the tenth game. Garin lost it because of a ball that hit the line and got angry at the charge. These were seconds when all the anger resurfaced, where there was also tension. Both the complaint to the chair umpire and the direct consultation with Tomi about the bounce of this ball.
The break left him exposed, to the point where he was eliminated without earning a single point in the match. A brutal blow for the northerner, but a step in the career of Barrios, who will face Alejandro Tabilo on Thursday, to reach the quarter-finals.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
