The 22-year-old from Tavira defeated Spain’s Nikolas Sanchez Izquierdo in straight sets on Thursday, winning 7-5, 6-3 in a match lasting just 91 minutes.
It was a particularly satisfying result for Pereira, who entered the tournament ranked 339th in the world, well below his Spanish opponent at 157th.
And it marks a personal milestone. Although Pereira has reached the quarter-finals of Challenger tournaments abroad before, this is the first time he has made it that far in a Challenger event held in Portugal.
He had already made a promising start in Braga, beating another Spaniard, Pol Martín Tiffon, 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round.
Thursday’s match was another confident performance.
Pereira landed 73% of his first serves and won 75% of the points played behind them. He also saved all three break points he faced, keeping his opponent from gaining a foothold in the match.
He had previously reached the semi-finals of the Challenger in Pozoblanco, Spain, in both 2025 and 2026, and will now be hoping to match that achievement on home soil.
The Braga Open is being held at the Clube de Ténis de Braga until 11 October.