Chilean legend Fernando Gonzalez will face Joao Souza in the second round of the VTR OpenYou can watch and bet on Gonzalez v Souza live for free at bet365 > live tennisFernando Gonzalez missed most of the 2011 season with a knee injury, but still seems to have enough in him to perform at ATP World Tour level. The former world No. 5 made a solid start to his ATP Vina Del Mar Open campaign this week with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Pere Riba. The match lasted for almost an hour and a half, and Gonzalez seemed to be able to keep pace with his younger opponent.
When asked about his win, Gonzalez remarked, “Happy that I could play again with the Chilean crowd; I hadn't done it in a long time. That was a dream and the fact that I could win made it even more special.” If he can build on this with a win against Joao Souza in round two, this could be a very memorable week for him.
Souza is a tall Brazilian with plenty of promise. He’s 23 years-old and ranked just outside of the top hundred. Good results at events like this, and maybe a few wins against top fifty opposition, will make this a big year for him. It’s not easy to estimate how he’ll get on against Gonzalez here in Chile, but we should be set for an intriguing matchup.
