Thiago Agustín Tirante gave Latin American tennis a strong start at the Madrid Open on Wednesday, beating Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-4 to move into the second round. The Argentine, ranked No. 75, now advances to face 15th seed Tommy Paul in the next round.
The match also marked Bautista Agut’s final appearance in Madrid.
The 38-year-old Spaniard, who announced last week that this will be his last season on tour, received an emotional sendoff at Manolo Santana Stadium, where fans gave him a standing ovation after one of the most respected careers in Spanish tennis.
Tirante controlled the match from the start and never let Bautista fully settle. He took the first set 6-2, then stayed steady in the second to close out the win in straight sets, ending the home favorite’s run in a tournament that has long held special meaning for him. Madrid was one of the key stops of Bautista Agut’s career, and he said after the match that competing in events like this had fulfilled a dream he carried from his youth.
For Tirante, the result is another solid moment on clay and a chance to test himself against a seeded player in the next round. For Bautista Agut, it was a farewell shaped more by emotion than by the scoreline, with family, friends and fans helping turn the end of his Madrid story into one of the most memorable moments of the opening day.
Latin America had more to celebrate in Madrid beyond Tirante’s win. Peru’s Ignacio Buse, 22, earned the first Masters 1000 victory of his career by defeating Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-2, setting up a second-round meeting with Barcelona champion Arthur Fils.
