The Brazilian faces the Argentinean Baez
Thomaz Bellucci commented on the Rio Open draw held this Saturday and his feelings on the last tournament of his career. He faces Argentinian Sebastian Baez, sixth favorite and 36th place.
Bellucci recalls 2015 when he too drew and ended up seeing Rafael Nadal fall as his first opponent: “Now I’ve been a little luckier. It could have been worse, last year I drew and took Nadal,” the left foot joked – hander from Tietê.
“But at the stage where I’m at any game it would be difficult. These guys have crazy pace and I haven’t played in almost six months. But this tournament has a different meaning. Today I will play freely. I am a sniper. Great expectation from both me and part of the fans to win and advance, being at times the only Brazilian directly in the group. Today I am a sniper, I like more to have fun, have fun, I hope to use it to my advantage. Who knows how to play a good game and never knows “.
Bellucci commented that last month he had three injuries during his preparation to play the ATP 500 in Rio at the Jockey Club: “It wasn’t easy to get here, I was a bit injured last year, I started training at January And in January I got injured about three times before arriving here, in fits and starts, but here I am prepared as much as possible, in recent years it has been difficult for me to play at a high level, physically it has been quite difficult for me to train hard and play with the intensity of today’s kids”.
Win or lose, the farewell will be special for the holder of four ATP titles and 21st ranked in the world: “For me this tournament has a special meaning. I will try to enjoy it, to have fun on the pitch. The result at that moment is not the main thing, the important thing is to be on the pitch and be happy and be as competitive as possible.”
When asked about the most interesting matches of his debut, he highlighted Thiago Monteiro’s match against Dominic Thiem: “Thiago Monteiro takes Thiem, right? Difficult match for him. Also for both. Thiem is playing well, but it’s not easy to play against Thiago here in Rio. He’s a great player and he can handle playing five hours in this heat and humidity. It’ll be a good first-round game.”
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
