Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, 24 February 2014 | tennis.com.au

Marinko Matosevic and Matt Ebden will fly the Aussie flag this week in the main draw at the ATP 500 event in Acapulco, Mexico.

The prestigious hardcourt event – the first year the tournament has switched from clay and the culmination of the four-week “Golden Swing” through Latin America – is headed by top seeds David Ferrer (No.1) and Andy Murray (No.2), both in the world’s top 10.

Despite avoiding these big names, Matosevic and Ebden have both drawn tough first round opponents, with Matosevic taking on fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov and Ebden tackling Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.

Fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis was attempting to join the pair by way of qualifying, but fell in his opening match to Colombian Alejandro Falla.

In the concurrent WTA event in Acapulco, Aussie teen Ash Barty has begun her qualifying campaign with a straight-sets defeat of Japan’s Naomi Osaka, and next faces second seed Lauren Davis.

Olivia Rogowska came close to joining Barty in the second round of qualifying, but fell in three tight sets to emerging Swiss star Belinda Bencic.