Tariq Simons and Trey Mallory made a flawless start to their Battle of Boca wildcard campaigns in Florida to keep their hopes of a spot in Paraguay alive.
The stakes are high at the clay-court event, with the overall singles champion securing a coveted main draw wildcard for the upcoming ITF M15K ATC Open in Asunción.
Simons took the scenic route, battling through two matches on a grueling opening day. He first dispatched Mexico’s Juan Pablo Lopez 6-3, 6-4, before showing immense grit to edge past American London Vasilescu 7-6, 6-4 in the Round of 32.
Meanwhile, third seed Mallory made light work of his opening fixture after receiving a first-round bye. The Bermudian dominated Chile’s Maximo Quiñonez from the back of the court to seal a clinical 6-2, 6-3 victory.
Both players advance to the round of 16 in impressive fashion as they look to secure a breakthrough opportunity on the professional transition circuit.
