Thiem, Monfils, Carreno Busta advance at Rio Open

Published Feb. 20, 2018 11:02 p.m. ET

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) No. 6-ranked and second-seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria has advanced in the Rio Open with a straight-sets victory over Serbian Dusan Lajovic.

The defending champion won 6-2, 7-5 on Tuesday and will next play Spain's Pablo Andujar in the clay-court tournament.

Frenchman Gael Monfils earned a dramatic 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Argentina's Horacio Zeballos.

Monfils will face top-seeded and third-ranked Marin Cilic of Croatia, who is playing his first tournament since he reached the Australian Open final in January.

Third seed and 11th-ranked Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain also advanced, beating Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 6-1.