Porto’s Henrique Rocha Faces Argentine Veteran After Dominant Australian Open Qualifying Debut

Henrique Rocha’s Australian adventure is off to a lively start. The Porto-born 21-year-old has already pocketed his first win in Melbourne’s qualifying draw and faces a crucial second-round test today. Portuguese fans up early for breakfast can follow the action knowing a spot in Thursday’s final round is on the line.

Key take-aways at a glance

• Convincing debut: straight-sets victory, 6-2 6-4

• Next hurdle: Argentine veteran Marco Trungelliti, world No 130

• Court time: today at 15:00 local / 04:00 in mainland Portugal

• Flashback: Rocha fell one match short of the main draw in 2025

• Big picture: a Portuguese man has not reached the Australian Open main draw since João Sousa in 2021

Why Portuguese eyes are on Court 15The first Grand Slam of the year typically unfolds while most of Portugal is still pulling on winter coats, yet the tournament has become a barometer for the country’s emerging players. A breakthrough down under delivers not only ATP ranking points but also the kind of global visibility few other events can match. With Nuno Borges already safely inside the top 100, a second Portuguese name in the Melbourne main draw would reinforce the sense that national men’s tennis is entering a new cycle.

First hurdle cleared with room to spareRocha opened his campaign on Monday and looked anything but jet-lagged. He dictated rallies against Brazilian qualifier João Lucas da Silva, breaking serve three times and firing six aces. The 6-2 6-4 scoreline was wrapped up in 84 minutes and offered early proof that an off-season spent in Maia’s indoor centre paid off. His first-serve percentage hovered near 70%, a metric his coaching staff targeted after last season’s clay-court tour.

Trungelliti: experience versus youthToday’s opponent, Marco Trungelliti, owns eight Challenger titles and famously drove 10 hours to Paris in 2018 to earn a Roland Garros lucky-loser berth. He thrives on grind-it-out baseline exchanges and ventures to the net only on invitation. At 32, the Argentine brings a decade more tour know-how than Rocha, but recent hard-court numbers give the Portuguese rookie hope: Trungelliti’s win rate on Greenset over the last 12 months sits just under 45%, compared with Rocha’s 62% on similar surfaces.

Remembering last year’s near missTwelve months ago, Rocha stood one set away from the main draw before Italian prospect Matteo Gigante clawed back and closed the door. That loss stung but also provided a mental roadmap. "I learned that tension doesn’t help you hit forehands," he joked ahead of this week’s event. The mental coach added to the team in September has already been credited with sharpening in-match focus—something the player lacked in 2024’s decisive tie-break.

What qualification would mean back homeShould Rocha navigate two more rounds, he would earn 25 ATP points and roughly €29 000 in prize money—resources that finance an entire swing of Challenger events. More crucially, joining Borges in the 128-player main draw would guarantee Portuguese television free-to-air coverage, a clause in the national broadcaster’s contract that kicks in when multiple nationals reach any Slam’s final stage.

How to tune in from PortugalEurosport holds exclusive broadcast rights again this year. The Trungelliti clash is expected no earlier than 04:00 Lisbon time, though delays are common on the outside courts. Fans can also stream the match via the tournament’s AO TV platform, which offers one unpaid hour before switching to a subscription model. A live score widget in Portuguese is available on the Federação Portuguesa de Ténis website for those unwilling to sacrifice sleep.

Fast-facts roundup– Ranking today: 188 (career high 176)– Playing style: aggressive baseliner, two-handed backhand– 2025 record on hard courts: 18-11– Coaching team: João Corte-Real (head), Marta Soares (fitness), Miguel Barros (sports psychologist)– Favourite football club: FC Porto—he travels with a blue-and-white scarf that doubles as a towel in practice.