Cerundolo - the nemesis of the Top 10

Argentinian tennis player Cerundolo has just reached the milestone of 15 victories against top 10 players. Notably, world number 2 Zverev has been defeated by Cerundolo three times, after the German player lost to Cerundolo in the fourth round of the 2025 Madrid Open. This demonstrates that Cerundolo is a nemesis for top 10 players.

Cerundolo is an Argentinian professional tennis player. His highest ATP singles ranking in his career was world number 19, achieved in June 2023. Currently, Cerundolo is the number one player in Argentina and South America, ranked 21st in the ATP rankings. However, Cerundolo has never been intimidated by any player in the top 10, making him a potential nemesis for top 10 players. Cerundolo's favorite opponent is Zverev, having lost to the Argentinian player three times in all three encounters. His two previous defeats were at the Madrid Open last year and the Argentina Open in February of this year.

In the fourth round of the 2025 Madrid Open, facing his long-time rival, Zverev might have taken a different turn if he had capitalized on his break opportunity in the third game of the first set. However, the world number 2 missed this golden chance. The turning point came in the decisive 12th game, where Cerundolo secured a crucial break to close out the set 7-5. Things worsened in the second set when Cerundolo broke Zverev's serve in the first game. The German player was unable to reclaim the break, ultimately losing 3-6. Thus, Cerundolo has now won all three of their previous encounters.

Cerundolo entered the quarterfinals against Jakub Mensik, a Czech player seven years younger and ranked just below him. Against a strong opponent, Cerundolo was surprisingly defeated in the first set 3-6. In the second set, both players battled back and forth, forcing a tie-break. There, Cerundolo outperformed Mensik at the crucial moment to win 7-5, thus winning the second set 7-6. Explosive in the deciding set, Cerundolo quickly won 6-2, securing a 2-1 victory and advancing to the semifinals against Casper Ruud. It's worth remembering that Mensik recently defeated the "living legend" Dojkovic to win the 2025 Miami Open.

Although Cerundolo was eliminated by a superb Casper Ruud in the semi-finals, his recent victories against very strong tennis players, especially his absolute 3-0 win in all three encounters with world number 2 Zverev, cannot be considered mere luck. Cerundolo is no longer a fleeting phenomenon; he is truly becoming a formidable opponent for any teammate in the future, whether it's Sinner or Alcaraz.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/cerundolo-khac-tinh-top-10-129915.html