World no. 26 Francisco Cerundolo will face Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells quarter-final. The Argentine will play in his fifth Masters 1000 quarter-final following a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Alex de Minaur in an hour and 50 minutes.
It was a grueling baseline battle with only 15 service winners and 41 exchanges containing nine or more shots. The Argentine prevailed in the opener after fending off a set point on serve in the tenth game. Cerundolo earned three breaks in the second set and sent pale de Minaur packing.
🔴 Premier quart à Indian Wells pour Cerundolo 🇦🇷
Francisco Cerundolo domine le n°10 mondial Alex De Minaur en deux sets (7-5, 6-3) et atteint son cinquième quart de finale en Masters 1000. 🫡
🇺🇸 Miami 22-23
🇮🇹 Rome 23
🇪🇸 Madrid 24
🇺🇸 Indian Wells 25 🆕pic.twitter.com/pOngGWwJHY— Univers Tennis 🎾 (@UniversTennis) March 12, 2025
Francisco presented the more reliable numbers behind the second serve. Still, he faced 14 break points and denied 11. He grabbed 54% of the return points and provided six breaks from seven opportunities. The Argentine built a 59-43 advantage from the baseline.
They sprayed the same number of unforced errors (39), and the lower-ranked player hit 13 winners more than his rival to make the difference. The 25th seed forged the advantage in the shortest, mid-range and most advanced rallies to emerge as a deserved winner.
Francisco Cerundolo, Indian Wells 2025© Stream screenshot
The Aussie missed a backhand in the first game of the match to experience an early setback. Francisco survived break points in the second game before suffering a break two games later after a loose forehand, bringing Alex back to 2-2.
They traded more breaks in games seven and eight to stay neck and neck. The Argentine squandered game points at 4-5 and faced a set point. He saved it with a powerful forehand and held for 5-5. Cerundolo gained a boost and clinched a break in game 11 with a fine attack and a forehand crosscourt winner.
Alex de Minaur, Indian Wells 2025© Stream screenshot
The Argentine landed a drop shot winner in game 12 for three set points. He squandered them before seizing the fourth after de Minaur’s backhand error, wrapping up the opener 7-5 in 74 minutes! The top-10 player missed a slice in the first game of the second set and lose serve for the second straight time.
He pulled it back in the next one, locking the result at 1-1. The Aussie sprayed more errors at 2-2 and landed a forehand wide to experience a break at love. Cerundolo fired a service winner in the sixth game, providing a hold and moving closer to the finish line.
Francisco Cerundolo, Indian Wells 2025© Stream screenshot
Francisco landed an ace in the eighth game and moved 5-3 up, keeping the pressure on the other side. De Minaur served to stay in the match in game nine. The Argentine made a push and drew the rival’s mistake to generate two match points.
Cerundolo cracked a forehand down the line winner to seal the deal in style. Thus, he arranged the quarter-final clash with the two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Tennis World USA