Argentine tennis suffered a devastating sweep at the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai on Saturday, October 10, 2026, as all five remaining players in the singles draw lost their second-round matches at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena. According to reports from La Nación and Olé, Tomás Etcheverry, Sebastián Báez, Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, Thiago Tirante, and Camilo Ugo Carabelli were all eliminated in a single day, leaving Francisco Cerúndolo as the lone survivor for the nation in the Chinese tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Juan Manuel Cerúndolo in Straight Sets
Juan Manuel Cerúndolo faced a daunting task against third-seeded Carlos Alcaraz on the tournament’s main court. La Nación noted that the younger Cerúndolo put up a fierce fight early on, but ultimately succumbed to the power and precision of the Spanish star, who won 6–3, 6–3. Alcaraz entered the match carrying a fresh title from the ATP 500 in Tokyo won less than a week prior, extending his hot streak on hard courts. Olé added that Alcaraz sported a new look featuring a thin mustache alongside his long hair—the result of a team bet shared with his brother and coach—and previously defeated Cerúndolo at the 2021 Next Gen ATP Finals.
Dalibor Svrcina Outlasts Tomás Etcheverry in Nearly Three Hours
The most unexpected upset of the day for the delegation involved 31st-ranked Tomás Etcheverry. Making his tournament debut directly in the second round, the Argentine fell to Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina, ranked 126th in the world according to Olé (reported as 121st by La Nación), by a score of 6–3, 3–6, 7–5. The grueling encounter lasted two hours and 58 minutes, as detailed by the EFE agency report carried by Yahoo. Svrcina advanced to face fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev in the third round, while Etcheverry lamented a missed opportunity in a fluctuating season.
Fierce Battles End in Heartbreak for Ugo Carabelli and Tirante
Camilo Ugo Carabelli came agonizingly close to securing a major upset against fourth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime. El Litoral reported that Ugo Carabelli claimed the opening set 6–4 before the Canadian world number five rebounded to take the next two tight sets 7–6(1), 7–5 on centre court. Similarly, Thiago Tirante won his opening set 6–4 against 13th-ranked Spanish prospect Rafael Jódar on Court 3. However, Olé noted that Jódar broke early in the second set, eventually sealing a 4–6, 6–2, 6–3 victory over 51 grueling minutes in the decider.
Valentin Vacherot Powers Past Sebastián Báez
Sebastián Báez struggled to find a foothold against Monegasque player Valentin Vacherot, falling 6–4, 7–6(5). Báez failed to force a third set, continuing a challenging stretch of results on fast hard-court surfaces.
Francisco Cerúndolo Carries Argentine Hopes into Sunday
With the rest of the Argentine contingent eliminated in the second round, 20th-ranked Francisco Cerúndolo remains the sole remaining representative in the singles draw. Having defeated Russia’s Roman Safiullin 7–6(5), 6–3 earlier in the week, Francisco Cerúndolo prepares to face Czech 15th seed Jakub Mensik in the third round on Sunday, October 11, around 3:00 AM local time in Argentina, with broadcasts available on Disney+ Premium.
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