RIO DE JANEIRO — Cameron Norrie started his defense of the Rio Open title by beating Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien 6-3, 6-2 on Monday.
“This is a special place for me, I won my biggest title last year here,” Norrie said. “I have another chance to work on my game and maybe enjoy the beach a little.”
Norrie upset Carlos Alcaraz in the 2023 final and both are seeded to make the final again.
The second-seeded Norrie will face Chile’s Tomas Barrios Vera next.
Also, fourth-seeded player Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina won.
Alcaraz will play his opener on Tuesday against home crowd hope Thiago Monteiro, and three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka will take on Argentina’s Facundo Díaz Acosta, fresh from winning the Argentina Open on Sunday as a wild card.