Chilean hero Fernando Gonzalez will return to the court to face Pere Riba at the ATP Vina Del Mar OpenYou can watch and bet on Gonzalez v Riba live for free at bet365 > live tennisMost competitors at an ATP level event would consider themselves fortunate to draw the world No. 298 in round one, but this week in Vina Del Mar, there’s an exception to the rule. Pere Riba, the 23 year-old Spaniard, will begin his campaign against Chilean veteran, and men’s singles silver medal winner in Beijing, Fernando Gonzalez.
Gonzalez doesn’t get too heavily involved in the ATP World Tour these days, though at 31 he could probably boost his ranking considerably if he played week-in-week-out. He made it through to the third round at Wimbledon last year, and can still put up a decent fight. That said, the former world No. 5’s best years are evidently behind him.
This match promises to be an intriguing one. If Gonzalez is fully fit and ready to give it his all, Riba will be in trouble. On the other hand, the young Spaniard is looking to climb the rankings, and he’s professional and experienced enough to not be overwhelmed by the Chilean’s reputation. This could go either way.
