BRASILIA/STARNBERG, March 6, 2026
Brazil secured a second semifinalist at the Brasilia Tennis Open, an ATP Challenger 75 event played on clay at the Iate Clube de Brasilia with total prize money of $107,000.
Following Wednesday’s victories by Gustavo Heide and Eduardo Ribeiro, Thursday brought two more Brazilian wins as Thiago Monteiro and Pedro Boscardin Dias advanced to the quarterfinals.
Former world No. 70 Monteiro defeated Spain’s Miguel Damas 6-4, 7-5 in the first match of the day, saving three set points in the second set. The Brazilian relied on his experience and mental strength in key moments to close out the match.
“It was a tough match. I didn’t know my opponent, but I knew he had reached a final last week. He’s very aggressive and hits the ball quickly on both sides,” Monteiro said. “It came down to small details and mental strength. I stayed solid in the important moments, saved the set points and managed to break right after to close the match.”
Later in the day, Boscardin produced another strong performance, defeating former Top 100 Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas 6-2, 7-6(1).
“It feels great. This is a very tough tournament and to reach the quarterfinals you need to play at a high level,” said the 21-year-old from Joinville. “I’m very happy, but I believe I can go even further.”
The two Brazilians will now face each other in the quarterfinals. Monteiro acknowledged that it will be a special encounter against a frequent training partner.
“I train with Boscardin in Rio de Janeiro. He’s in great form and is one of the promising players of Brazilian tennis, fighting to qualify for a Grand Slam qualifying draw,” Monteiro said. “We’ve never played each other in an official match, so it will be different from practice and I’ll try to find the best tactics.”
Boscardin, meanwhile, praised the experienced Brazilian. “Playing against Thiago will be amazing. He’s an idol in Brazilian tennis. I’ll enjoy the moment, but once we’re on court we’ll be rivals and I’ll try to beat him.”
Guto Miguel Falls to In-Form Díaz Acosta
Teenage sensation Guto Miguel saw his impressive run come to an end after losing to Argentina’s Facundo Diaz Acosta 6-4, 6-3 in front of a packed central court at the club where he trains.
Díaz Acosta, currently ranked No. 238, arrived in Brasilia fresh off a title at the Tigre Challenger in Argentina and extended his winning streak to seven matches. The Argentine also won the Argentina Open in 2024 and will next face top seed Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, who defeated Brazil’s Joao Eduardo Schiessl 6-4, 6-2.
Seven wins in a row and counting…
Facundo Diaz Acosta overcomes home favourite Guto Miguel 6-4, 6-3 to book his spot in the Brasilia quarterfinals#ATPChallenger | @Facudiazacosta pic.twitter.com/snZi9fd7hb
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) March 5, 2026
“From the start I knew it would be difficult because he has been in the Top 50 and has a lot of experience,” said Guto Miguel. “He was very calm in the important moments. It came down to small details and one break in each set.”
Despite the defeat, the 17-year-old Brazilian achieved a historic milestone earlier in the week by becoming only the second player born in 2009 to win a match at ATP Challenger level after defeating Juan Pablo Ficovich in the opening round.
Asked to summarize his week in Brasília, Miguel described it in one word: “Unforgettable.”
Diaz Acosta also praised the young Brazilian after the match. “It was a very tough match. The crowd was very loud from the warm-up,” the Argentine said with a smile. “A player like Guto has a great future and very strong shots. He will have a great career.”
