Blockx defeats Cerúndolo, leaving New York without Argentine men’s singles players

Alexander Blockx ended Argentina’s run at the US Open by beating Francisco Cerúndolo in four sets in the round of 16.

The Belgian, ranked 34th in the world, defeated the 25th-ranked Argentine 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in a match lasting three hours and 16 minutes. Blockx had previously beaten Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti in the second round and Chile’s Marcelo Tomás Barrios Vera in the first.

Cerúndolo and Blockx played a tightly contested match, with the Belgian winning 137 points to the Argentine’s 133. Blockx made the difference on break points, converting six of 12 chances, while Cerúndolo converted three of 17. He also hit 36 winners and made 44 unforced errors, compared with Cerúndolo’s 34 winners and 51 unforced errors.

Blockx will meet the winner of the match between American Learner Tien, ranked 15th, and Russia’s Karen Khachanov, ranked 50th. That match will determine the potential semifinal opponent of Germany’s Alexander Zverev, provided Zverev wins his matches.

Cerúndolo’s exit leaves the tournament without an Argentine men’s singles player beyond the fourth round. Argentina began with 11 players in the draw, while Luciano Darderi remains in the competition under the Italian flag. Cerúndolo and Etcheverry had reached the fourth round, Argentina’s best result at the event since Diego Schwartzman did so in 2021.