Francisco Cerúndolo rallies past Taylor Fritz to reach US Open fourth round

Francisco Cerúndolo turned a two-set deficit into one of the biggest victories of his career, defeating local favorite Taylor Fritz to reach the US Open round of 16.

The 25th-ranked Buenos Aires player lost the opening sets 6-3 and 6-4. He then recovered to win the third and fourth sets 6-3 and 6-4, despite falling 0-1 with a break against him in the third. Cerúndolo completed the comeback with a 6-4 fifth set.

Fritz, ranked 10th and formerly fourth in the world, had home support at Flushing Meadows. Cerúndolo was appearing on Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time, and left the court with his 17th victory over a top-10 opponent.

The result puts two Argentines into the final Grand Slam tournament’s round of 16. Tomás Martín Etcheverry, ranked 32nd, had already reached the stage, and will face another American, 46th-ranked Alex Michelsen. Cerúndolo’s next opponent will be either Italy’s sixth-ranked Flavio Cobolli or Belgium’s Alexander Blockx, ranked 34th.

Cerúndolo and Etcheverry were also the last pair of Argentine players to reach the round of 16 at a major, doing so at the 2023 French Open. They are the first Argentines to reach that stage at the US Open since Del Potro and Schwartzman in 2017.