Delpo makes winning start in Estoril

Juan Martin del Potro gave his clay season the best possible start as the Argentine fifth seed hammered Japan’s Yuchi Sugita 6-1 6-3 to power into the second round of the Estoril Open.

The two-time champion who last played – and won the event – in 2012, was untouchable as he began his pre-Roland Garros run-up two weeks late.

Del Potro’s last event was the Miami Masters a month ago.

The South American, whose Estoril appearances have tended to bring him good luck later in the spring on clay, won his 10th match in a row in Portugal over Sugita, ranked a career-high No.73 after beating Estoril top seed Pablo Carreno Busta to reach the Barcelona quarter-finals last week.

Del Potro, aged 28 and ranked No.33, has always felt in his comfort zone in coastal Estoril.

“The clay court season is, for me, the most difficult but every time I came to Estoril I played well in the subsequent clay tournaments,” he said.

“Each match is complicated and to have the opportunity to keep playing tennis is really important.”

Del Potro dominated with eight aces, saving the lone break point he faced while breaking his Asian opponent four times from 10 chances.

He moves into a match with Ryan Harrison, who beat Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3 2-6 6-2.

American Bjorn Fratangelo upset Portuguese sixth seed Joao Sousa 6-3 6-4 to advance while local hope Joao Domingues turned the tables in a final-set tiebreaker to overhaul British seventh seed Kyle Edmund 6-4 3-6 7-6 (2).

Defending champion Nicolas Almagro beat French eighth seed Benoit Paire 6-3 6-2.