Top-ranked Argentine tennis star Francisco Cerúndolo had to fight tooth and nail on Thursday to secure his place in the US Open third round.
The 28-year-old, currently ranked 25th in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) singles rankings, defeated Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff (44) 5-7, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a rollercoaster match.
Cerúndolo struggled to impose his game, as he had in the opening round against Austrian Filip Misolic, and started on the back foot, struggling with his serve throughout the match.
In the third set, the Argentine star came back from 5-2 down and served to level the score. However, another hesitant service game saw him concede the set, and frustrations reached a boiling point, with a furious Cerúndolo smashing his racket.
The venting seemed to do the trick, as things fell into place for the player from Buenos Aires, who took a comfortable lead in the fourth set and went on to wrap up the match.
