Rio Open: Marin Cilic Eases Past Carlos Berlocq To Enter Second Round

Croatian tennis player Marin Cilic defeated Argentine qualifier Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the second round at the Rio Open. "I'm feeling good. It was an okay match. It was a solid match, first one on clay," Cilic said after Monday's match, reports Efe. "I wouldn't say that I played really, really well. I felt that I played well. In the critical moments I think I played my own game, very offensive and overall I think I controlled the match quite okay."

The Australian Open finalist, who needed just one hour and 19 minutes to knock off Berlocq, the world No. 139, will play the winner of the first-round match between France's Gael Monfils and Argentina's Horacio Zeballos in the second round.

"I just have to keep focusing on myself just to try to get day after day a little bit better and better, even tomorrow in practice," the 29-year-old Cilic said. "Just do a couple things from the match today that I'd like to do and focus on the next one."

In other action, Spain's Albert Ramos Vinolas defeated Brazil's Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, while Chile's Nicolas Jarry knocked off Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).

Last month, Cilic had lost 2-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 1-6 to world number 1 Roger Federer. Switzerland's defending champion dropped his only sets of the tournament to beat the Croatian sixth seed in 3 hours and 3 minutes.

Federer, playing in his 30th Grand Slam final, joined Novak Djokovic and Australian great Roy Emerson as joint top for the most Australian Open men's titles.

(With IANS Inputs)