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Rune was forced to retire from his Monte-Carlo opener last week with food poisoning, but bounced back with an impressive all-around performance in Barcelona.

“I did some things right, some things wrong today,” Rune said. “I found it more difficult to get used to the clay courts this year. But I took the challenge and I was very pumped to get a good start after a tough week in Monaco. I’m happy to be feeling healthy, that’s an amazing feeling first of all. I’m not struggling with anything.”

In his first-round clash with Ramos-Vinolas, Rune timed his charge to perfection. The Dane saved two break points in the sixth game, before emphatically finding his range at the end of the first set. Rune reeled off four consecutive games to steal the opener and move to a 2-0 lead at the start of the second.

While Rune’s level dipped, allowing Ramos-Vinolas to restore parity at 3-3, the Dane responded with a eight-point streak to set him on his way to a one-hour, 40-minute victory.

Rune’s clinical display marks his first win since reaching the final at the ATP Masters 1000 in Indian Wells last month, where he fell to Jack Draper. The No. 13 in the ATP Rankings awaits the winner of the clash between Rio de Janeiro champion Sebastian Baez and lucky loser Damir Dzumhur.

Competing as the sixth seed, Rune is into the second round in Barcelona for the first time. The 21 year-old fell to Ramos-Vinolas in his only other main-draw appearance in 2021, but served some revenge on his return.

Andrey Rublev continued his impressive run of form at ATP 500 level by easing past Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong 6-1, 6-3 with a near-flawless display. 

The 27 year-old, who triumphed in Doha in February, boasts a 32-15 record at this level since the start of the 2023 season, the fourth-best among active players.

“Today is the first match in a long time that I’ve felt really well,” said Rublev after his 64-minute victory. “I was able to play really aggressively from the beginning. I was really lucky that I was able to win in straight sets, because I have known him this year. For me, I was preparing for a really tough match.”

The fourth-seeded Rublev offered no let up from the baseline and asserted his dominance using his favoured forehand wing, from which he hit 18 of his 23 winners. He will next face wild card Stan Wawrinka or last week’s Monte-Carlo semi-finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round.

In other first-round action, Pedro Martinez and Sebastian Korda both advanced in three sets. Spain’s Martinez secured his first ATP Tour win on home soil (1-8) by overcoming Brandon Nakashima 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.

American Korda sealed his first Top-50 win on clay since April last year with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Matteo Arnaldi.

Qualifier Hamad Medjedovic edged big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-5, 7-6(8) to set a second-round clash with defending champion Casper Ruud or fellow qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan.