ROSARIO/STARNBERG, February 7, 2025

Juan Manuel Cerundolo secured a hard-fought victory over No. 7 seed Federico Coria in an all-Argentine affair of the YPF Rosario Challenger round of 16 on Thursday. The most prestigious ATP Challenger Tour event in Argentina saw the 23-year-old left-hander claim victory after two hours and 31 minutes of intense battle at the Jockey Club. Cerundolo, who made a stunning debut on the ATP Tour by winning the Cordoba Open in 2021, thrilled the crowd by defeating one of the tournament’s favorites.

After breaking a five-match losing streak in his opening-round win against Juan Carlos Prado Angelo, Cerundolo overcame a second-set comeback from Coria and took a decisive 4-0 lead in the third, securing an unassailable advantage.

One step closer in Rosario @jmcerundolo downs No. 7 seed Coria 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 #ATPChallenger | @rosariochall pic.twitter.com/cAf4oaXFlZ

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) February 6, 2025

“I started the third set very well, recovered my intensity, but the tension and anxiety of closing the match made things difficult. However, I managed to hold onto my lead. I need to work on becoming a more complete player,” said the ten-time ATP Challenger champion. Up next, he will face Bolivia’s Murkel Dellien, who mounted an impressive comeback against Brazil’s Felipe Meligeni Alves. This marks Dellien’s second quarterfinal appearance of the season, following his run at the Nautico Hacoaj tournament earlier this year.

No. 3 seed Francisco Comesana also advanced after delivering a dominant serving performance. The 2023 Buenos Aires Challenger champion, who reached the third round at both Wimbledon and the US Open last year, fired 13 aces and won 84 per cent of his first-serve points to defeat Italy’s Andrea Pellegrino 7-5, 7-5.

“I didn’t feel my best on court, so I knew I had to play physically and compete with what I had. My serve helped me a lot,” Comesana explained. One of his key strengths was his ability to counterattack with the slice, which allowed him to secure a crucial break in the second set.

Comesana’s quarterfinal opponent will be Hugo Dellien, Murkel’s older brother and a player he defeated in the Buenos Aires Challenger semifinals last season. “He’s a great fighter and plays very well on clay; it’s going to be a battle,” noted Comesana. Dellien, a 31-year-old Bolivian, advanced with a solid victory over No. 6 seed Sumit Nagal of India. “I played really well, but nerves at the end prevented me from securing a double break. Still, I managed to beat a high-level clay-court player like Sumit,” said Dellien, who recently made the semifinals in Piracicaba, Brazil.

The top seed, World No. 31 Sebastian Baez, faced a tough challenge but ultimately prevailed in two tiebreaks against Brazil’s Gustavo Heide, securing a place in the quarterfinals. He will now face fifth-seeded Italian Francesco Passaro. The six-time ATP Tour champion is embarking on a challenging stretch as he prepares to defend his titles in Rio de Janeiro and Santiago de Chile. “I knew it was going to be a tough match. I had good sensations at times and I’m happy to have pulled through, gaining more matches and confidence. Playing in Rosario again makes me very happy—it brings back great Davis Cup memories. The fans treat me amazingly, and I really enjoy it; it’s extra motivation,” Báez said in a press conference.

In another key match, Juan Pablo Ficovich continued his strong form, following up his victory over recent Piracicaba champion Roman Andres Burruchaga with a stunning performance to eliminate fourth seed and former World No. 23 Damir Dzumhur. The 28-year-old Argentine, a three-time ATP Challenger champion, secured his quarterfinal spot and ensured an all-Argentine semifinal, as he awaits qualifier Guido Justo.

THURSDAY RESULTS

Second Round – Singles

[1] Sebastian Baez (ARG) d Gustavo Heide (BRA) 7-6 (1) 7-6 (5)

[3] Francisco Comesana (ARG) d [Q] Andrea Pellegrino (ITA) 7-5 7-5

Juan Pablo Ficovich (ARG) d [4] Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-2 7-6 (4)

Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG) d [7] Federico Coria (ARG) 7-5, 2-6 6-3

[5] Francesco Passaro (ITA) d Andrea Collarini (ARG) 7-6 (4) 6-3

Hugo Dellien (BOL) d [6] Sumit Nagal (IND) 6-1 6-4

Murkel Dellien (BOL) d Felipe Meligeni Alves (BRA) 4-6, 7-6 (2) 6-3