Thomaz Bellucci looks to book his place in the semi-finals when he takes on Andreas Beck later today at the ATP Challenger Tour Finals.
Bellucci has mixed it with the big boys at times this season, defeating Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych at the Madrid Masters in May but with this event being held indoors, not all were convinced of his chances after the Brazilian racked up a dire losing streak over the closing months of the season.
However Bellucci put that all behind him on Wednesday, defeating the dangerous Bobby Reynolds 6-3, 6-3.
"I was always in the lead so it was easier to control the match. I made a few mistakes, but it's normal for a first match so I'm happy to win," he said. "Against Beck it will be a tough match because he is an aggressive player, so I will have to play inside the court and not let him play."
It wasn't a great day for the the German contenders but Beck made his mark on the competition with an emphatic 6-3, 6-1 win over third seed Martin Klizan despite only arriving in South America a few days ago.
"It was a very good match, almost perfect," Beck said. "I felt very confident with my ground strokes. I knew I had to play aggressive against him because he's a dangerous player and that's why I won."
Prediction: Bellucci in three
