The 26-year-old made his ATP debut back in 2019, and it would take him three years before he scored his first win on hard courts—and of course, it happened right here in Miami. Playing in a 1000-level main draw for the first time, Cerundolo made waves as he toppled names like No. 16 seed Reilly Opelka, No. 22 Gael Monfils, No. 28 Frances Tiafoe and No. 9 Jannik Sinner (via retirement, due to foot blisters) to reach the semifinal.
Read More: With hard court game clicking, Francisco Cerundolo’s Cinderella story continues in Miami (2022)
He was ousted by Ruud, then the No. 6 seed, in that 2022 semifinal—which made his lopsided victory on Tuesday that much sweeter.
Cerundolo edged through a tight opening set against Ruud on Grandstand, and had just opened up a 5-1 lead in the second when the rain started to fall, causing a three-hour rain delay. He said he “just chilled” with his team and family as they passed the time, and upon resumption he closed out the victory in style—without facing a break point in the entire match.
“I definitely feel like I’m playing my best tennis right now,” Cerundolo said. “I’ve been winning a lot of matches back to back and showing a good level—that’s the most important thing.
“I’ve played great matches here in the past, but I feel like I’m a better player and a lot more mature. I feel like I understand tennis better now, and I can take it match by match.”
