Many times in the world of sports, we witness some curious crossovers. Michael Jordan playing baseball, Usain Bolt playing soccer, or Gareth Bale competing in golf tournaments are some examples. The latest crossover we have seen in the world of tennis, where the former Uruguayan footballer Diego Forlán made his debut on Wednesday in a professional tournament alongside the Argentine Federico Coria, falling 6-1 and 6-2 in his doubles debut at the Uruguay Open against the Bolivians Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos, as reported by Efe.
The Rioplatense duo, who received applause and cheers from the local crowd that filled the stands of the Carrasco Lawn Tennis in Montevideo to see the two-time Golden Boot winner, suffered a tough defeat at the hands of a duo that won comfortably.
The efforts of the Argentine ranked 101st in the ATP singles ranking and 413th in doubles, who shined with several winning points, and the Uruguayan, who is left-handed for tennis - despite kicking with his right foot in soccer - was a singles finalist at the MT400 in Asunción, were not enough to overcome the solidity of Arias and Zeballos.
At the end of the match, Forlán thanked Coria for agreeing to play with him and those who attended the match in which, in less than an hour, victory went to the Bolivian duo, both ranked 109th in doubles.
The 23rd edition of the Uruguay Open will award the champion 100 ranking points, while the runner-up will receive 60. It will also distribute $133,000 in prizes.
Some of the players aspiring to the title are the Argentines Francisco Comesaña, Federico Coria, and Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro, the Bolivian Hugo Dellien, and the Colombian Daniel Galán.
The tournament, which began in 1998, has seen notable participations throughout its history, including Argentine players Guillermo Coria, David Nalbandian, Juan Martín Del Potro, and Diego Schwartzman; the Spaniard Tomás Ventura; and the Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, who were winners in different years.
The Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas is the only player who has won the title three times (2009, 2014, and 2017).