Nicolás Barrientos (1987, Cali, Colombia) arrived at the ATP 250 in Córdoba to make his South American tour debut in brick dust after a more than special Davis Cup weekend. At home, he took to the field to face Cameron Norrie in a series that, despite the loss to Great Britain, left some brilliant moments for Alejandro Falla’s leaders.
A respectable performance in the Davis Cup
For the third time in his career, Barrientos entered the court as part of a series in the most important men’s team competition in the tennis world. Hosted by Great Britain as locals, the Colombians represented the colors of their flag with matches that caught the attention of all the fans. to victory Nicolas Mejia (256°) approx Daniel Evans (30th), added the current 66th doubles spectacular performance against the Indian Wells 2021 champion and former 10th ranked singles. Cameron Norrie.
«It was a very nice opportunity for me to play with a guy in the twelfth spot who, in my situation, wouldn’t have gotten it.. I’m very happy to have been able to compete in that match, to have been able to play a very respectable second set, so to speak. I had a lot of breaking points, but eventually he brought out his experience and hierarchy. The truth was a very nice match, it motivated me a lot to continue in this sport because those moments make you motivated and keep going.«.
Debut at the Córdoba Open
Unlike his partner Ariel Behar (55th), semi-finalist in the second edition of the competition, Nicolás reached the heart of the land of the albiceleste without any previous participation. After an hour and 44 minute battle in the first round, he celebrated his first win of the tournament 6-7 (5), 6-4 and 11-9. Guido Pella and Hugo Dellien.
«It was a tough match. We hadn’t played on powder for a long time, and it was our first match on powder. I think it was tough, but it’s nice to get this result, a win is a win, but you have to stay focused on what’s to come.».
The current moment of area tennis
Regarding the latest performances of the Latin American representatives of the most demanding tour in the world, the Colombian pointed to the importance of developing events that increase the competitiveness of the region.
«There are a lot of players, especially in this region Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. I believe that tournaments strengthen all these players and thus we have more players in the rankings. So it is very important to organize these types of tournaments, we already have enough challengers and now these ATPs. To achieve this leap, it is very important to take advantage of the opportunities offered by our region.«.
