The Dove Men+Care Salvador de Bahia tournament commenced Monday in northeastern Brazil.
As part of the ATP Challenger Tour, players compete on clay courts for the chance to win $53,120 USD in prize money. Brazilian natives performed well during the first day of the tournament, with Daniel Dutra de Silva, Orlando Luz, and 20-year-old phenom Gustavo Heide all notching wins. Heide captured three titles on the ITF World Tennis tour last season and hopes to continue his string of success in Salvador.
To do so, Heide will have to go through Chile’s Tomas Barrios Vera, the tournament’s top seed. Ranked 145th in the world, Barrios Vera has already earned over $86,000 in prize money this season. The 6’3” right-hander is looking to bounce back after disappointing finishes in Savannah and Tallahassee last month. In both tournaments, Barrios Vera was eliminated early by lesser-ranked opponents.
The Salvador de Bahia tournament will run throughout the week, wrapping up on Sunday, May 8th. For live scores and videos, fans can click over to the ATP Tour website.