Latin America Shines at Rio Open

(ATR) Rio Open 2016 champion Pablo Cuevas tells Around the Rings that the championship match shows the development of tennis in Latin America.

Cuevas, ranked 25 in the world thanks to his victory, is the top ranked Uruguayan tennis player on the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour. He defeated Argentine Guido Pella, ranked 42 in the world, in an unexpected all South American final in Rio.

The Rio Open is the only ATP 500 tournament in South America. The 2016 edition managed to bring four players who are ranked in the top 15 worldwide.

Cuevas and Pella reached the final by disposing of Europeans Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem respectively. Nadal had been seeded first in the tournament, and Thiem was coming off a victory at the Buenos Aires Open the week before.

"Lately the Spaniards are dominating the clay circuit a little here, so it's very good for tennis in South America to have two players in the final," Cuevas said after his victory to ATR. "It is very good for Uruguayan tennis and for tennis in South America."

In a post-game speech, Cuevas said that he would like to attend the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in six months, but needed to confirm that he qualified.

"I really like Brazil, it has been very good to play here," Cuevas said to reporters. "Here I played the best match of my career. I don’t only feel good on the court. I like much of the country, the beaches, and everything; I always enjoy it when I play here."

The third year tournament in Brazil had seen two Spanish winners before Cuevas took home the 2016 title. Nadal won the inaugural tournament in 2014 and compatriot David Ferrer won the 2015 edition. Both contested the Rio Open in 2016.

For Nadal two defeats in the semifinals of two South American tournaments remain a disappointment for the clay court specialist. Before the tournament began, Nadal said he would not be focusing on the 2016 Olympics in Rio until much closer to the Games.

"I lost an opportunity that’s it; I fight a lot, you learn, I’ve lost some of these matches, but I accept and will keep working," Nadal said to ATR following his semifinal loss.

"I had my chances in both, so I just accept that was not the idea to lose in both tournament semifinals, but that’s what happened."

Fellow semifinalist Thiem said he did not predict he would win in Buenos Aires and make the semifinals in Rio. He added that he would very much like to return to the Rio Open in 2017 to try and finish what he could not achieve in 2016.

"I am of course disappointed after every loss but all in all South America was a very positive experience for me," Thiem toldATR.

Thiem said to reporters post-match he would possibly come to the Olympics, but "I would prefer to come back next year to this tournament."

Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro

Homepage photo: Getty

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