Former champ Carballes Baena makes solid start in Marrakech

Roberto Carballes Baena signalled his intentions for another deep run at the Grand Prix Hassan II on Monday in Marrakech.

The fifth-seeded Spaniard, who won the trophy in 2023 and reached the final last year at the clay-court ATP 250, downed home wild card Taha Baadi 7-6(3), 6-3 to book his second-round spot. Despite letting slip his first seven break points of the match in the opening game (in which he nonetheless converted his eighth to break Baadi's serve), Carballes Baena delivered a rock-solid showing for a two-hour, one-minute triumph.

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“I am very happy to be back here in Marrakech. I love this place,” said Carballes Baena in his on-court interview. “It was a very tough match. I didn’t know him very well, but he played very good. It was a very difficult match and I’m very happy with the win.”

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Baadi was well supported by a vocal home crowd on his ATP Tour debut. The 23-year-old was unable to push on after breaking for a 3-2 lead in the second set, however, and the two-time tour-level champion Carballes Baena reeled off four straight games to seal victory in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. He finished the match having won 73 per cent (35/48) of points behind his first serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

The No. 51 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Carballes Baena will next take on top seed Tallon Griekspoor. The 32-year-old Spaniard is the only former titlist in the draw this year in Marrakech, where he holds a 15-4 record overall.

In other action, Raphael Collignon earned his first tour-level victory by ousting former Top 10 star Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-3. The 23-year-old Belgian had won just one set in his first four tour-level matches, but saved three of the four break points he faced to eliminate the Italian.

Also moving on is Bolivian Hugo Dellien, who battled past Australian Aleksandar Vukic 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 in two hours and 33 minutes.