Cerundolo knocks out misfiring Zverev to return to Madrid Open quarter-finals
The Argentine defeated top seed Zverev 7-5, 6-3. He will face young Czech Jakub Mensik in the next round
Francisco Cerundolo, Madrid Masters, 2025 © Zuma/Psnewz
Francisco Cerundolo has carved the draw wide open at the Madrid Masters by dispatching top-seeded Alexander Zverev 7-5, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals at the Caja Mágica once again.
The Argentine extends his winning record against Zverev to 3-0, having won in this very same fixture last season before also defeating the German in Buenos Aires earlier this year.
Zverev’s exit means that the men’s side of the draw at the Madrid Open is an open field, as world No 4 Taylor Fritz is the highest-ranking player remaining.
With Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz absent from this year’s event, and Novak Djokovic suffering another early loss, the German had a golden opportunity to clinch his third title in the Spanish capital at a tournament he usually thrives in.
Higher altitude lending itself to a quicker, high-bouncing ball compliments Zverev’s big serve and powerful groundstrokes. But today, facing an opponent against whom he has always struggled, the world No 2’s game puzzlingly fell apart at the seams.
Most damaging were the mere six winners he was able to muster compared to a costly 23 unforced errors, with returns and routine forehands frequently sailing out of court.
Full credit should go to Cerundolo, however, who once again displayed his quality in a season that is reading ever more impressively for the Argentine.
consecutive breaks seals victory for cerundolo as zverev’s consistency continues to falter
A break in the twelfth and final game of the opening set was enough for Cerundolo to move into a deserved lead.
That was quickly followed by another break in the second game of the second set for the world No 21, who kept Zverev at arm’s length throughout, only allowing the German a single break-point opportunity in the match.
The rest of the contest went on serve, with Cerundolo comfortably holding in the final game to send the top seed and two-time champion crashing out.
A difficult season for Zverev once again poses more questions than answers in a display well below the German’s best. With points to protect as the defending champion in Rome before another tilt at an elusive Grand Slam title in Paris coming up, he will need to start finding solutions quickly to avoid slipping down the rankings.
Cerundolo, meanwhile, looks set to crack the top 20 after a performance well worthy of the sport’s elite.
The Argentine will go on to face rapidly rising young Czech Jakub Mensik in the last eight as both men look to seize on the opportunity of a wide open draw in Madrid.
