Francisco Cerúndolo is going through one of the best moments of his career and he confirmed it in the Australian Open with a resounding victory against Andrey Rublev. The Argentine beat the Russian in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(4) and 6-3, after 2 hours and 8 minutes of play, and entered the round of 16 of the tournament for the first time.
At 27 years old and with three ATP titles in his career, the oldest of the brothers cerundolo He managed to make a jump in big tournaments outside of clay. Until now, he had only reached that stage at Roland Garros, but in Melbourne he showed solidity, aggressiveness and a level that makes him dangerous also on fast courts.
Alexander Zverev and a history that weighs
Alexander Zverev
EFE
Your next challenge will be none other than Alexander Zverevcurrent world number 3, who defeated Cameron Norrie 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 and 6-1. The German, a finalist in the last edition of the competition, starts as a favorite, although he knows that he will have a rival in front of him that makes him uncomfortable.
In fact, Zverev He already acknowledged on several occasions how difficult it is for him to play against the Argentine and now he did it again. “The last two times we have played I managed to beat him, all of them on a hard court. I hope to get one more, but the truth is that he is a difficult opponent for me. He has a forehand that makes me very uncomfortable,” he explained.
The history between Zverev and Francisco Cerúndolo
Zverev recognized Cerúndolo after beating him head-to-head in the Davis Cup.
Photo: Guglielmo Mangiapane
The history between the two marks a clear parity, with an advantage for cerundolowho won three of the five crosses disputed. It won in Madrid 2024, Buenos Aires 2025 and Madrid 2025, while Zverev he later recovered in Toronto and in the Davis Cup, both in 2025.
Thus, in Melbourne a new chapter will be written in this duel that has already become a kind of modern classic. With confidence, without giving up sets and with enthusiasm intact, cerundolo will seek to strike another blow and get into the quarterfinals of a tournament for the first time. Grand Slam.
