The Philippe Chrartiermain court of Roland Garrosis the epicenter of a more than special match for Argentine tennis. Francisco Cerúndoloranked 23rd in the ATP world ranking, He faces Novak Djokovic for the first time in his career for a place in the quarterfinals of the second Grand Slam of the season.
In the first set, the Serbian managed to break the Argentine’s serve in the fourth game after a hesitant start and maintained his to go up 4-1. Confidence in the game Nole It increased significantly to the point that it won again and took the first set in 40 minutes 6-1.
The second set began with some concern after Novak Djokovic felt discomfort in the kneecap of his right knee in the third game. At the 1-2 break he asked for the physio, who came in to work on the affected area. The uncertainty grew when Nole lay down on a stretcher on the court while the professional performed recovery movements. Before the regulatory medical time was up, the Serb stood up and decided to continue.
Although with discomfort, Djokovic managed to win the next game (2-2). The Serbian was testing his knee in every play and even came close to losing the serve. After returning from the injury he found it uncomfortable when doing long stretches and changes of pace.
Given the impossibility of performing at 100% physically, as a result of his injury, the Serbian focused on taking advantage of his service and trying to attack every mistake made by the Argentine. Neither could take the lead in the early stages, despite the fact that Cerúndulo fought in the deuce on several occasions. Finally in the twelfth game, the 25-year-old tennis player managed to break serve for the first time and take the set (7-5).
It will not be an easy duel that the Argentine will have to face. Following Rafael Nadal’s exit from the Paris Open in the first round, the reigning champion will seek to take another step in his quest to defend his title. It should be remembered that last year, Nole surpassed Casper Ruud to become the player with the most titles in major tournaments of all time.
Cerúndolo, who defeated the German in straight sets Yannick Hanfmann in the first round (6-3, 6-3 and 6-4) and then beat Filip Misolicfrom Austria, 6-2, 7-6 and 6-0, landed in the round of 16 and it was there where he left the American behind Tommy Paul (6-4, 1-6, 6-2 and 6-2) to add the third consecutive victory against the 29th in the world, who last year had been a revelation on the Parisian clay court by reaching the quarterfinals.
“If it’s Djokovic’s turn, it will be an unforgettable experience to play in the round of 16 at Roland Garros on center court against the best in history in terms of numbers, it would be a very nice prize,” he said. Fran once the duel against Paul was over. Finally, it was confirmed that his rival will be the Serbian, who had to battle until 3 in the morning (local time) to remain in the race in the Grand Slam par excellence on clay.
At 37 years old, who is considered one of the best tennis players in history starred in a marathon session in the Philippe Chatrier against the young Lorenzo Musetti in a grueling match. After four and a half hours of action on the court, the current world number 1 and defending champion celebrated a 7-5, 6-7, 2-6, 6-3 and 6-0 against the Italian to avoid what would have meant a painful defeat in a difficult season for Djokovic.
Nolewho arrived in France without having been a finalist in any tournament so far in 2024 after falling in three semifinals, had a solid start at Roland Garros: he beat the local tennis player Pierre-Hugues Herbert (6-4, 7-6 and 6-4) in the opening round and then also swept the Spaniard Roberto Carabllés Baena in consecutive sets (6-4, 6-1 and 6-2).
A detail to keep in mind: the Serbian never lost in the fourth round of Roland Garros and has a record of 17 wins against no losses.
After the match, Djokovic spoke about the duel against the Argentine and highlighted Cerúndolo’s presence on the circuit. “A lot of respect for him. He’s a great player, a great guy, very consistent. He is Argentine, he knows how to play very well. I have to recover first of all because I’m going to have to run against him a lot.”
