Defending champion Thomaz Bellucci will meet Rui Machado in round two of the Movistar Open

Thomaz Bellucci got his ATP Santiago Open campaign off to a flying start earlier in the week with an assured 6-2, 6-2 thrashing of Filippo Volandri. The No. 3 seed looks set to make another solid title challenge this week, and is the second highest seed left in the tournament following the departure of Juan Monaco.

Bellucci faces Portugal’s Rui Machado in round two, in a match that he’s tipped to win. This won’t necessarily be an easy match for the Brazilian though. Machado demolished Felipe Rios 6-2, 6-0 in his opening match, and appears to be in good form. Rios may well be a wildcard entrant, but Machado’s dominance was still impressive.

Bellucci and Machado are yet to meet in official competition prior to this match. Despite this, it still seems fair to suggest that Bellucci is likely to progress to the quarters here. The young Brazilian is a dangerous player on clay courts, and he has a track record of doing well in this event.