Francisco Cerúndolo's US Open run ends in the fourth round

Francisco Cerúndolo could not carry his momentum into the US Open quarterfinals. The Argentine, ranked 25th in the world, lost to Belgium's Alexander Blockx 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 after three hours and 16 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Cerúndolo had arrived in the fourth round after beating a top-10 player, Taylor Fritz. The 28-year-old Buenos Aires native was playing this stage of the tournament for the first time and had hoped to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the first time. He also aimed to become the first Argentine to reach the US Open quarterfinals since Diego Schwartzman in 2019.

The match began with both players trading early service breaks, but Cerúndolo struggled with tension and hesitation. Blockx broke again to lead 3-2, then produced powerful groundstrokes while Cerúndolo served at 3-5. The Belgian converted his second set point to take the opening set 6-3.

Cerúndolo responded with greater energy in the second set and broke Blockx in the fifth game. He saved a break chance while serving at 4-3 and moved ahead 5-3 before leveling the match. Blockx had received treatment for pain in his right back during the first set, but he showed no clear difficulty moving or striking the ball afterward.

Blockx, 21 and ranked 34th, had eliminated world No. 6 Flavio Cobolli in the previous round. His victory ended Belgium's 0-10 record in men's singles fourth-round matches at the US Open since 1881 and made him the first Belgian player to reach the tournament's quarterfinals.