Chileans Gonzalez, Massu Delight Viña del Mar Fans

Australian Open finalist Fernando Gonzalez made a successful transition from hard court to clay Wednesday with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over Brazilian Thiago Alves in front of a rowdy, sold-out crowd at the Movistar Open in Viña del Mar. The Chilean, who contested his first Grand Slam final Sunday in Melbourne, dropped just four points on his first serve.

The Chilean arrived at his Santiago home Monday, had lunch and then traveled to Viña del Mar, where he practiced three times before Wednesday night's match.

Gonzalez is chasing a third Viña del Mar title, having won in 2002 and 2004. He also reached the 2005 final.

Gonzalez, who saved all three break points he faced, said: "That first match wasn't easy but I'm of course very happy to have won it in two sets. It's a bit difficult to be playing on clay again; I'm not used to it. I haven't played on clay since Roland Garros."I'm so happy to be back here in Viña. I wait the entire year to play here. It's the only time, apart from the Davis Cup, that I get to play in front of my crowd and it's an amazing feeling we don't get any anywhere else. I want to thank everybody for their support."

Hometown hero Nicolas Massu breezed into the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Spaniard Gorka Fraile. Massu dropped just four points on his first serve and saved two of three break points he faced en route to winning his round-robin group with a perfect 2-0 record.

Massu, who was born and continues to reside in Viña del Mar, reached the final last year but fell to Jose Acasuso. He has now reached the quarterfinals in four of his past five appearances at the event, including a run to the semifinals in 2002.

Gustavo Kuerten's hopes of reaching the quarterfinals were dashed when the three-time Roland Garros champion lost 6-1, 6-4 to Spaniard Albert Montanes, whose next round-robin match against countryman Oscar Hernandez will determine which player advances to the quarterfinals.

Kuerten was playing his first ATP tournament since Costa do Sauipe in February last year. His next outing will be a Challenger event in his hometown of Florianopolis next week.

With a quarterfinal place hinging on the outcome for both players, Sixth seed Sergio Roitman defeated fellow Argentine Mariano Zabaleta 6-4, 6-4. Roitman converted all five break points he held.

Fifth seed Luis Horna has reached the quarterfinals for the loss of just seven games after Wednesday beating Brazil's Ricardo Mello 6-3, 6-1. The Peruvian dropped just five points on serve and did not face a break point.

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