Francisco Cerundolo didn’t hide his happiness after beating Alexander Zverev in front of his home fans at the Argentina Open, declaring it “the best win” of his career.
In the quarterfinal of the ATP 250 tournament in Buenos Aires. the home favorite player came back from a set down to beat the world No. 2 3-6 6-3 6-2.
For the 26-year-old, it was his 12th victory over a top-10 player – but also the first one against someone ranked as high as Zverev.
“I’m very happy—it’s probably the best win of my career in terms of ranking,” Cerundolo said.
“He’s No. 2 in the world, playing incredible tennis, so, I mean, to be able to beat him here in Buenos Aires with my home crowd, my family, my people and my friends, it’s amazing.
“It’s probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”
Francisco Cerundolo© Argentina Open Tennis/Instagram
Cerundolo: It was really tough to play…
Due to rain, the match’s start was pushed back.
Then, another rain delay happened late in the second set.
While the fifth-seeded Argentine managed to overcome the very tricky conditions and also find a way to beat No. 1 seed Zverev, he was the first to acknowledge that it was all but easy out there.
“It was really tough to play today. A lot of wind at the beginning of the match, so I couldn’t play comfortably,” Cerundolo reflected.
“You had to put shots in the middle and not take too much risk because it was really tough to hit the ball, and I think after that I tried to be more calm and more patient, because I knew that it was going to be a tough match.”
In his interview, the Argentine also said neither he nor Zverev “didn’t play well” in the first two sets but he was able to raise his level in the decider and that ultimately sealed the deal.
On Saturday, Cerundolo will meet Pedro Martinez in the Buenos Aires semifinal.
If the 26-year-old wins his next two matches, he will win his fourth ATP title but also the first one in front of his home fans in Argentina.
Tennis World USA