Thomaz Bellucci will begin his ATP Santiago Open title defence with a match against Filippo Volandri

Thomaz Bellucci will start his Santiago Open title challenge with a match against Filippo Volandri on Monday. The Brazilian will enter this match as the favourite, but will need to be wary of the world No. 88, who was a top fifty player for several years earlier in his career.

Bellucci has started the season in decent form. He reached the quarters in Auckland, and lost to Jan Hernych in the second round of the Australian Open following in a dramatic five-setter. Bellucci is one of the younger players on the tour, and his ranking has been on the ascendency in the last few years. He is currently ranked thirtieth in the world.

Volandri, on the other hand, seems to have already had his best years. That said, it would be foolish to write him off. He’s still a capable player, and not necessarily an easy opponent for the reigning champ. Bellucci and Volandri have never met each other in official competition, which makes this match a little tougher to predict. Despite this, the vast majority of spectators will be expecting a Bellucci victory tomorrow.