Alex de Minaur got off to the perfect start at the Barcelona Open on Tuesday, downing Austrian Sebastian Ofner 7-6(7) 6-4 in the opening round.
The Spanish city has been a happy hunting ground for the Australian No.1 in recent years, making the semifinals in 2022 and the final eight last year.
There was enough promise in his straight-sets win over the 86-ranked qualifier to suggest that De Minaur, who is third seed in Catalonia, should go deep again this year.
But if the tournament goes to seeding he will face a semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz, the world No.2, who has beaten De Minaur six times in six matches, including in Barcelona in 2022 and 2025.
Alcaraz swatted aside Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen 6-4 6-2 on Tuesday and now meets Tomas Machac who beat Sebastian Baez 2-6 6-4 6-1.
First De Minaur must beat another qualifier, Hamad Medjedovic, the 88-ranked Serb he defeated in the second round of the Australian Open this year.
Either Portugal's Nuno Borges or Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry would be next.
De Minaur's win follows his quarterfinal appearance at the Monte Carlo Masters last week, where he fell to local hero Valentin Vacherot in three sets.
'Demon' was briefly in trouble against Ofner, facing a break point in the eighth game, but saved that with a precise and powerful backhand down the line.
After a lengthy tie-break he took the set and subsequently the match following an early break in the second set.
Watch the ATP and WTA tours LIVE & ON-DEMAND on beIN SPORTS.