Rookie Navone continues surge with Bucharest opening win

Tiriac Open

Mariano Navone continues to shine in his debut season on the ATP Tour.

The 23-year-old Argentine, playing in his fifth tour-level event of both the season and his career, earned a 6-2, 6-3 win against Luciano Darderi on Monday at the Tiriac Open. By advancing at the Bucharest ATP 250, Navone has moved into the Top 50 of the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

His one-hour, 33-minute victory was fuelled by seven breaks on 13 chances, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Navone also save four of seven break points against him in the first-round match.

The fifth seed is seeking his first tour-level title this week. He reached the Marrakech semi-finals last week, losing to eventual champion Matto Berrettini, and also advanced to the the Rio de Janeiro final earlier this season.

Navone will next meet Brazil's Thiago Seyboth Wild, who saved five match points in a 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(2) opening win against Luca Nardi. Making his tournament debut, Seyboth Wild has now won five consecutive first-round matches after losing his first four to begin the 2024 season.

Spin to win 🕸@arthurrinder | #TiriacOpen pic.twitter.com/VfzpDGcKWe

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 15, 2024

Arthur Rinderknech also advanced in three sets on Monday, edging Hugo Gaston 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-5 in an all-French matchup. The 28-year-old's first win against his countryman leaves the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 2-1 in favour of Gaston. It was also Rinderknech's first clay victory of the season.

Federico Coria, who reached semi-finals in Cordoba and Buenos Aires in February, also advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 result against lucky loser Benjamin Bonzi. It was Coria's eighth win of the season and his first outside of South America.