Prior to this week few would have heard of the youngster Juan Manuel Cerundolo who is yet to break into the world’s top 300.
However, that has all changed this week thanks to a fairytale run at the Cordoba Open in Argentina. Prior to the tournament, 19-year-old Cerundolo had never played in the main draw of an ATP Tour event and had only ever won seven matches on the lower level Challenger circuit. His career prize money stood at $38,277 which is less than what players participating in this year’s Australian Open qualifying tournament earned.
Despite being one of the biggest outsiders playing in Cordoba, Cerundolo has managed to exceed even his own expectations with a shock run to the final. In the process he scored wins over Thiago Seyboth Wild, third seed Miromar Kecmanovic and seventh Thiago Monteiro. He continued the winning momentum on Saturday with a hard fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, triumph over compatriot Federico Coria.
“Honestly, I still can’t believe what is happening,” Cerundolo on-court following his latest win. “It was a really tough match, I was playing very solid in the first set but he started to come back and then anything could happen. After the second set, I did well to recover mentally and withstand him.”
The unprecedented run of the Argentine has made him the first player to reach the final of an ATP Tour event on his debut since Spain’s Santiago Ventura at the 2004 Casablanca Open. He is also the youngest player from his country to reach a Tour final since Jose Acasuso back in 2001.
A former top 10 junior player, Cerundolo attributes his breakthrough to a recent change in rackets which has enabled him to compete better with the top players.
“It’s helped me to be more powerful,” atptour.com quoted him as saying. “I have to use less strength to hit the ball. It’s a better thing for me.”
Describing himself as a ‘defensive counter-puncher’ Cerundolo says he is not intimidated by the power of his rivals. His three most recent matches on the Tour have gone to three sets.
“I like to hit with the other guy’s power. When you face powerful opponents like Fede [Coria], you have to go after them a little bit or else things can get complicated,” he said.
Cerundolo’s older brother Francisco is also enjoying success on the Tour after winning his first ATP Tour match at the tournament earlier in the week. He is ranked considerably higher at 135th in the world and won three Challenger titles last year.
Standing in Cerundolo’s way of his maiden title will be fifth seed and veteran player Albert Ramos-Viñolas who knocked top seed Diego Schwartzman out of the tournament. Regardless of the outcome, the rising star is set to rocket up the rankings to inside the world’s top 220 for the first time in his career.