Bellucci Upsets No. 1 Seed Kei Nishikori in First Round at Rio Open

Thomaz Bellucci has started his home country tournament with a bang…

The 29-year-old Brazilian tennis player, ranked No. 75 in the world, defeated Kei Nishikori on Tuesday in straight sets.

Thomaz Bellucci

Bellucci upset the top seed in the first round of the Rio de Janeiro Open (Rio Open) 6-4, 6-3.

“It could be the worst match in the last few years,” Nishikori said.

Bellucci, the home country favorite pulled the huge upset during Carnival week in Brazil.

“You don’t see Kei break the racket often,” Bellucci said of Nishikori, who smashed his racket after losing the first set.

Bellucci had lost his previous two matches against Nishikori, including a three-set loss two years ago in the first round of the French Open.

“For me it’s amazing to have a victory like this in Brazil,” Bellucci said. “He’s an unbelievable player. A top five. So it was amazing.”