Cerundolo’s Swift Strike Hits 150 Wins Milestone
Francisco Cerundolo dismantled Emilio Nava in a 66-minute rout at the BCI Seguros Chile Open, pushing his South American clay streak to seven of eight and marking his 150th tour-level victory as the Golden Swing intensifies.
On the sun-drenched courts of Santiago, Francisco Cerundolo carved through the quarterfinals of the BCI Seguros Chile Open with surgical precision. The top seed, fresh from his Buenos Aires title earlier this month, overwhelmed American Emilio Nava 6-1, 6-1 in just 66 minutes, his heavy topspin forehands gripping the red clay and forcing errors from deep in the baseline. This Golden Swing surge now includes seven wins in eight matches on South American clay, the No. 19 player in the PIF ATP Rankings channeling the crowd’s energy into a display of unyielding focus.
“I didn’t expect this,” Cerundolo said of his 66-minute win. “I have seen Emilio play really good tennis the past couple of days, so I started super concentrated on my game because I knew it was going to be a really tough match. But I thought I played really well. I rarely missed any shots today. I am really happy with my performance.”
Clay rhythm restores balance
Cerundolo’s approach leaned into the surface’s demands, deploying deep crosscourt backhands to stretch Nava wide while mixing in inside-out forehands that pinned the American behind the baseline. Nava, the first American to reach quarterfinals at a tour-level event on South American clay since Rajeev Ram in 2017 in Quito, faltered under the pressure, his returns floating short and inviting punishing one–two combinations. The Argentine’s minimal errors—rarely missing shots—built a psychological edge, turning the match into a baseline grind where his topspin climbed high off the clay, disrupting any counterattack.
The lone blemish in this run came with a second-round exit in Rio de Janeiro, but here in Santiago, Cerundolo reset with kick serves that kicked up dust on second deliveries, preserving energy amid the swing’s packed schedule. The crowd’s rhythmic chants amplified his intensity, their applause swelling with each unforced error from Nava, feeding a momentum that felt like home soil advantage despite the Chilean setting. This efficiency on clay, where rallies stretch longer, highlighted his maturity at 27, blending power with the patience to exploit every angle.
Milestone sharpens title hunt
Pushing past 150 tour-level wins, Cerundolo became the first active Argentine to reach that mark, a quiet nod to his endurance on the circuit’s red-dirt battles. He’ll pursue victory 151 in his 18th ATP Tour semifinal against Yannick Hanfmann, whom he leads 4-1 in their head-to-head, including a straight-sets win here last year. The number arrived not as celebration but fuel, his mind already mapping the tactical edges for the upcoming clash.
“It is a lot. Not many players can achieve 150 wins, so I am super happy with that milestone,” Cerundolo said. “I will try to achieve more, set more records and try to keep winning.”
Hanfmann clawed into the semifinals by outlasting Lithuanian lucky loser Vilius Gaubas 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 over two hours and 13 minutes, marking the first German advance to an ATP Tour clay semifinal in South America since Tommy Haas in Sao Paulo in 2014. Expect Cerundolo to target the German’s backhand with looping topspin, forcing longer exchanges that play to his strengths on the slower surface. As the altitude thins the air and the Golden Swing’s stakes rise, this matchup tests not just strokes but resolve, with Cerundolo’s form suggesting he’s primed to extend the streak and claim a second title.
Semifinal sets swing’s tone
The contrast in styles looms large: Hanfmann’s flatter groundstrokes against Cerundolo’s spin-heavy arsenal could draw out drop shots and net forays from the German, disrupting the baseline flow. Yet Cerundolo’s versatility—varying pace with underspin slices to draw forward—positions him to dictate rallies, his inside-in forehands ready to punish any overreach. With Buenos Aires behind him and Santiago’s trophy in sight, the pressure of the swing transforms into purpose, his clear focus carrying into Europe’s clay season.
In this rhythm of red dirt and rising expectations, Cerundolo plays with a certainty that turns clay’s grind into advantage, eyes fixed on redefining his year one deep run at a time.
