Rogerio Dutra Silva is normally dominant in South American clay Challengers. The Brazilian has won eight of his ten career Challenger titles in South or Central America, including titles in Chile and Panama earlier this year.
The World No. 90 might then be inclined to feel a little disappointed that he has failed to contest a final in his last two events. Seeded second in Montevideo and first in Santiago, Dutra Silva lost to two No.172 Joao Domingues in the Chile quarter-finals, and to No.207 Marcelo Arevalo in the Uruguay semis.
Dutra Silva’s Top 100 ranking is not on the line this week, but the Brazilian will be looking for a strong finish to 2017 to set up his off-season. The top seed once again this week in Rio, Dutra Silva should have few problems until the quarter-finals.
There he could meet fifth seed Thiago Monteiro, who has some pedigree at these events, but is horribly out of form. Looking beyond that, Argentine veteran Carlos Berlocq is in the same half, and is very experienced having won all of his 17 Challenger titles on clay.
The bottom half of the draw features the likes of Gastao Elias and the in-form Nicolas Jarry. The Chilean Jarry will be heavily fancied to do well after winning the Santiago Challenger last week.
Other Challenger events in the final week of the season take place in Hua Hin, Bangalore, and Andria, as the ATP season eases to a close.
