Lorenzo Musetti received his first ATP Tour title on the clay of Hamburg final July, defeating fellow Argentina Open seed Carlos Alcaraz within the last. In his first match on the floor in practically seven months, the Italian eased again into the win column with a 6-2, 6-3 win in opposition to dwelling favorite Pedro Cachin on Thursday in Buenos Aires.

Patient however aggressive in his event debut, Musetti opened the court docket repeatedly to earn his first victory since he received 4 straight matches on the United Cup. He created 10 break factors, changing half, and sealed the win by claiming the ultimate three video games of the one-hour, 25-minute contest.

“It was not easy because Pedro was playing good. It was his second round and for me it was the first match here,” the third seed mentioned. “I feel great. I felt great from when I arrived here. I feel at home even if we are in Argentina. I think Italian culture and Argentinian culture is really close. So I’m happy with the win because I played great tennis.”

Entering the week as World No. 20, Musetti is up two locations to No. 18 within the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, a mark which might match his profession excessive. He will meet qualifier Juan Pablo Varillas in Friday’s quarter-finals after the Peruvian defeated Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-4 earlier within the day.

“He beat Thiem so I think he’s playing pretty well,” Musetti mentioned forward of the pair’s first ATP Head2Headvert assembly. “I have to focus on my game and concentrate on myself and try to play, like today, really solid.”

In the draw’s prime half, fifth seed Francisco Cerundolo cruised into the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-1 win in opposition to Spain’s Jaume Munar. One of two Argentines within the quarter-finals, alongside Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Cerundolo will subsequent play Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles.

Zapata Miralles upset fourth seed Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-3 to shut Thursday’s play on the ATP 250. It was a second opening-match defeat for in as many weeks for the Argentine, who was additionally knocked out within the Cordoba opening spherical on dwelling soil.