Francisco Cerundolo continues impressive ‘Golden Swing’ in Santiago, Emilio Nava breaks American drought | ATP Tour
Match Report
Cerundolo continues impressive ‘Golden Swing’ in Santiago, Nava breaks American drought
Nava turns into first American quarter-finalist in event historical past, Baez wins
February 26, 2026
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Francisco Cerundolo gained the ATP 250 title in Buenos Aires earlier this month.
By Sam Jacot
Top seeds Francisco Cerundolo earned his sixth clay-court win of the season on Thursday on the BCI Seguros Chile Open in Santiago. The Argentine recorded an opening-round 6-2, 6-2 towards triumph Elmer Moller to achieve the quarter-finals on the ATP 250 occasion.
Cerundolo lifted the trophy on house soil in Buenos Aires for the primary time earlier this month, a second which the Argentine described because the ‘greatest second of his profession thus far’. After a second-round exit in Rio de Janeiro, the World No. 19 was dominant all through his 71-minute win towards Moller.
“I grew up my whole life playing on clay,” Cerundolo mentioned. “I developed my game on clay, so I try to always do [well] on this surface. I have been doing better and better every year. I am super happy with my level and how I have been playing the last week and this year. I am feeling really good on clay.”
In the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly, the 27-year-old gained 89 per cent of his first-serve factors and didn’t face a break level, in response to Infosys ATP Stats.
The Argentine will subsequent play Emilio Nava after the 24-year-old defeated Paraguayan qualifier Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 7-5, 6-3 to change into the primary American quarter-finalist in event historical past. The World No. 79 can also be the primary American man to achieve a tour-level quarter-final on South American clay since Rajeev Ram in 2017 in Quito.
Nava upset the previous No. 6 participant in the PIF ATP Rankings Matteo Berrettini in his first match on the ATP 250 occasion after which produced a clean-hitting show to down Vallejo and attain his second ATP Tour quarter-final.
In different second-round motion on Thursday, Sebastian Baez efficiently bounced again from a first-round exit in Rio de Janeiro, when he defeated house hope Cristian Garin 7-6(2), 1-6, 7-5 in a conflict of former champions. With the victory, the 2024 winner marched into his fifth consecutive quarter-final on the ATP 250 clay-court occasion.
“Everything [is special here]the people, the tournament, the conditions,” Baez mentioned. “The crowd immediately was good as a result of I performed a Chilean man. Thank you to your respect.”
The Argentine will subsequent face Alejandro Tabilo in a rematch of the 2024 closing, gained by Baez.
The eighth-seeded Tabilo overcame Thiago Agustin Tirante 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 simply six days after beating the Argentine in the Rio de Janeiro quarter-finals. Tabilo completed runner-up in Rio de Janeiro, solely falling to Tomas Martin Etcheverry in a three-hour, four-minute closing.
