PORTO/STARNBERG, August 28, 2025

Pedro Araujo’s exit in the second round of the CT Porto Cup leaves Frederico Silva, Francisco Rocha and Tiago Torres as the remaining Portuguese players in the singles draw. The trio will return to action on Thursday at Clube de Tenis do Porto.

Two days after securing Portugal’s first victory of the tournament, World No. 489 Araujo was outplayed by Belgium’s Gilles Arnaud Bailly, falling 6-0, 6-1. The 19-year-old Belgian even served for a double bagel at 6-0, 5-0, but Araujo salvaged some pride by getting on the scoreboard – on the tougher side of the court, into the wind – before his run ended. The Portuguese was chasing a maiden ATP Challenger quarterfinal appearance.

Pedro Araújo evita a bicicleta (0-6 e 1-6) frente a um Gilles Arnaud Bailly em estado de graça no único encontro de singulares do dia com portugueses na CT Porto Cup. Seria sempre muito difícil, foi doloroso. Ainda não é desta que alcança os primeiros quartos de final Challenger. pic.twitter.com/NgO7tHcpay

— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) August 27, 2025

Bailly is regarded as one of the brightest prospects of recent years. He topped the ITF junior rankings in 2022, a season highlighted by runner-up finishes at both Roland-Garros and the US Open. After a short stint on the U.S. college circuit, 2024 marks his first full season as a professional. His next opponent will be Nicolas Alvarez Varona, who was one of three Spaniards to advance on Wednesday. Nicolas Sanchez Izquierdo and Alejandro Moro Canas also booked wins and will meet in the other all-Spanish clash in the top half of the draw.

The bottom half of the quarterfinal lineup will be decided on Thursday, highlighted by an all-Portuguese battle between Silva and Torres. The left-handed duel is scheduled as the second match of the day at 1:00 p.m., following local favorite Francisco Rocha’s showdown with second seed Guy den Ouden.