Camilo Ugo Carabelli defeated fellow countryman Federico Coria 7-5, 6-2 in a one-hour, 39-minute opening match at the Challenger de Guayaquil, Infobae reported.

Ranking Trajectory and Return to the Challenger Tour

Ugo Carabelli entered the Ecuador tournament holding the No. 75 spot in the ATP rankings, aiming to rebuild momentum after reaching a career-high of No. 43 in August 2025. By choosing to return to the Challenger circuit—where he has claimed nine career titles, most recently in Rosario early in 2026—the 27-year-old Buenos Aires native seeks to recover lost ground.

Injuries Cause Coria to Fall in Rankings

On the other side of the net, Coria’s straight-sets loss compounds a difficult stretch marked by physical ailments and a steep fall in the rankings. Once ranked No. 49 in February 2023, the 34-year-old from Rosario sits at No. 834 after missing more than six months following right elbow surgery. Subsequent abdominal and quadriceps injuries further limited his playing time, leaving him with only six match wins this season. Across his career, he has claimed six Challenger titles at Savannah in 2019, Prostejov and Brasilia in 2021, Milan in 2022, and Concepcion and Szczecin in 2023, alongside reaching ATP finals at Bastad in 2021 and Cordoba in 2023. With retirement emerging as an increasingly concrete possibility, he had previously set a timeline to define his future: If I don’t win a tournament from here to February, I retire.

Round of 16 Matchups and Argentine Advancements

Ugo Carabelli will face either local wild card Álvaro Guillén Meza (No. 347) or Mexico’s Juan Alejandro Hernández (No. 497) in the next round. Meanwhile, other Argentine players advanced in Guayaquil. Lautaro Midón (No. 187) defeated compatriot Gonzalo Villanueva (No. 231) 6-3, 6-3, setting up a clash against either fellow countryman Mateo Del Pino (No. 334) or Colombia’s Daniel Galán (No. 367). Valerio Aboian (No. 283) also moved forward by overcoming Uruguay’s Franco Roncadelli (No. 259) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, earning a second-round match against German-Chilean player Diego Dedura (No. 184).

Eliminations Across the Draw

Several other Argentine competitors exited the tournament during the opening rounds. Juan Manuel La Serna (No. 251) fell to the Dominican Republic’s Nick Hardt (No. 307) in three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Juan Estévez (No. 352) lost to Chile’s Tomás Barrios Vera (No. 156) 6-2, 7-6(12), and Alex Barrena (No. 211) was eliminated by Peru’s Gonzalo Bueno (No. 197) with a score of 7-6(1), 6-3.