Wawrinka, Etcheverry win Buenos Aires openers

Stan Wawrinka collected his first match win of the year when he rallied from a set down to defeat to defeat Pedro Cachin 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-2 in the first round of the IEB+ Argentina Open Monday night in Buenos Aires.

The 38-year-old Swiss was playing just his second match of the year, which followed a five-set loss to Adrian Mannarino in the first round of the Australian Open.

"I haven't won a lot or even played many matches the last few months, so it's never easy to start the tournament and have confidence from the start," Wawrinka said. " But I was fighting with my serve to be more aggressive and I finally found my game and started to feel better on the court and move better and I'm happy with that."

Wawrinka fired 10 aces and saved all five break points he faced according to Infosys ATP Stats. Cachin remains winless on the year after four matches.

The former World No. 3, who is now No. 60 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, will now attempt to claim consecutive match wins for the first time since last year’s US Open.

Sixth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry made a strong start to his Buenos Aires campaign, beating Roberto Carballes Baena on home soil for the second consecutive year.

The 24-year-old converted all four break points he earned in a clinical 6-4, 6-1 victory, which came 12 months after his three-set win over the Spaniard here in the second round last year.

"It's so special to get this win with my family and friends here," said Etcheverry. "I played incredible tennis and hope I can continue the same level this week."

Coming into the tournament at a career-high No. 27 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Etcheverry will next play the winner of countryman Diego Schwartzman and Colombia's Daniel Elahi Galan.

Seventh seed Laslo Djere claimed his first match win of the season when he defeated Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 to reach the second round.

The World No. 35, who last year took a set from eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the second round, will next play the winner of Andrea Vavassori and Thiago Seyboth Wild.

Djere, who won his first ATP Tour title in Rio de Janeiro in 2019, claimed his first win in three Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Cilic, who needs 18 match wins to join the exclusive 600-wins club.

Argentine wild card Facundo Diaz Acosta set up a first-time meeting with fourth-seeded countryman Francisco Cerundolo after defeating Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 7-6(1) to hand the German back-to-back first-round losses during the South American swing.