Rio de Janeiro – Alejandro Tabilo of Chile advanced to the final of the Rio Open presented by Claro on Sunday, defeating Ignacio Buse of Peru 6-3, 6-3. The semi-final match, delayed from Saturday due to rain, saw Tabilo secure his sixth career final and his first at the ATP 500 level.
The 28-year-old Tabilo demonstrated dominance on the court, striking 17 winners and winning 85 percent of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The match lasted 71 minutes, a relatively swift victory considering the earlier weather disruptions.
Buse, 21, was competing in the biggest semi-final of his career, but struggled to find his rhythm against the Chilean. The key difference in the match lay in the break points; Tabilo converted four of eight opportunities, while Buse managed to capitalize on only one of two. Buse also won only 38% of points on his second serve, compared to Tabilo’s impressive 65%.
The victory propels Tabilo up 26 spots in the PIF ATP Live Rankings to No. 42, and will see him return to the Top 50 on Monday for the first time since May. He is now seeking his fourth title and aiming to become the first Chilean man to win tour-level trophies on clay, hard, and grass courts.
Tabilo will face Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the final on Sunday, not before 5:30 p.m. Local time. Etcheverry overcame Vit Kopriva in a grueling three-set match, 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4), which spanned three hours and 43 minutes. The match was also impacted by the weather, being suspended twice – once due to rain and again due to the Heat Rule.
Etcheverry, currently ranked No. 51, is pursuing his first tour-level title. He has a remarkable recent record, having won his last 19 matches against opponents ranked outside the Top 50.
Buse’s journey to the semi-final included a notable victory over Italian Matteo Berrettini in two sets to one. Tabilo, meanwhile, had defeated Argentina’s Thiago Agustín Tirante by the same margin in his quarter-final match.
The match between Buse and Tabilo took place on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at the Quadra Guga Kuerten of the Jockey Club Brasileiro. The match began no earlier than 9:00 a.m. Local time in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, and 10:00 a.m. In Bolivia and Venezuela. Fans in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay could tune in starting at 11:00 a.m. Local time.
The match was broadcast live on ATP TV, with minute-by-minute updates available on RPP.pe.
The Rio Open 2026 continues on Sunday with the remainder of the singles semi-finals, the doubles final featuring Brazil’s Marcelo Melo and João Fonseca, and culminating in the highly anticipated singles final between Tabilo and Etcheverry.
