Buenos Aires, March 20 (NA) – Mariano Navone (61st) and Camilo Ugo Carabelli (66th) were the only Argentines to win on Thursday at the Miami Masters 1000, in the first round of the second tournament of this category in the season. According to the Argentine News Agency, Navone defeated the Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili (134th) 7-6 (7) and 6-3, while the 'Brujo' did so against the tough Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (59th) with a score of 2-6, 6-3, and 7-6 (3). Those who could not win and are still fighting to turn around a discouraging start to 2026 were Solana Sierra (63rd), the national representative in the women's discipline, and Francisco Comesaña (82nd). After the unstable and rainy weather, uncharacteristic of the city in Florida, forced the suspension of Wednesday's matches, tennis returned to Miami to finally play the first round of the Masters. In the first match, Mariano Navone stated that he continues his streak after winning the 'Super Challenger' 175 in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic, last week and sent Basilashvili, who was in the top 20 in his best years, packing. After a first set in which he wasted two set points, the Argentine faced a tie-break which he won 9-7, then managed to get his only break in the eighth game of the next set and sealed the victory with just one match point. Relaxed in the week after winning the best title of his career, equaling the one won in Cagliari in 2024, the native of 9 de Julio stated that after a complicated 2025, he began to change his mentality to play without thinking about the consequences that results have on the ranking, achieving greater tranquility and ease on the American hard courts this week, and the Dominican one the previous. The second round will pair Navone with the Monegasque Valentin Vacherot (25th), champion of the Shanghai Masters 1000 and, in addition, finalist in the recent Indian Wells in doubles. The one who could not keep his calm was Ugo Carabelli, although he doesn't need it. After losing 6-2 in the first set, the native of Bajo Belgrano lashed out at his team because his rival was not committing double faults, something his box was repeatedly telling him was happening. Shortly after his complaint, the Frenchman made a mistake on his serve and committed the first of the three double faults he suffered during the match, which the 'Brujo' seized to break, hold his serve, and force a final set, which he won 7-3 in the tie-break. After overcoming a tough opponent who scored 44 winners and 24 aces, taking advantage of extraordinary ball speed, Ugo Carabelli will face the seeded Sebastian Korda (36th), seeking to reach a third round necessary to defend the points from last season. The defeated Argentines were two: Solana Sierra, who fell 6-1 and 6-3 to Kamilla Rakhimova (82nd) and continues to be unable to reach the second round of a Masters 1000 in her career, although she has only played five, and Francisco Comesaña, who lost 6-4 and 6-2 to the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo (41st) and has accumulated only three wins in 10 ATP matches this season.
