Francisco Cerundolo hopes to defeat Alexander Zverev for the second consecutive time in the Round of 16 of the Madrid Open

Francisco Cerundolo has had a dream start to the season, having firmly established himself in the Top 30 of the ATP. The Argentine has grown with conviction in his game, and that has been noticeable at the Madrid Open, where he reached the round of 16 on Sunday (April 27). He now faces Alexander Zverev next for a place in the last quarter of the ATP 1000 event.

Cerundolo is very unpopular but has been quite consistent this season. He was close to winning his first ATP title at the Argentina Open but fell short against Joao Fonseca in the final. The Argentine came close again at the BMW Open but exited in the semi-finals after losing to Ben Shelton.

At the Madrid Open, he claimed a straight sets victory against Harold Mayot in the second round before beating his fellow compatriot Francisco Comesana in the third. He now faces a tough challenge against Zverev. However, the 26-year-old is confident ahead of his match against Zverev as he defeated the World No. 2 6-3, 6-4 at the same stage of the competition last year.

During his press conference after his third-round victory, he was asked if he was confident ahead of his clash against Zverev. The World No. 21 revealed that he hopes to replicate his 2024 victory against the World No. 2.

Cerundolo reached the quarter-finals of the Argentina Open last year before losing to Taylor Fritz in straight sets. Meanwhile, Zverev is a two-time champion in Madrid, having won the title in 2018 and 2021.

Alexander Zverev is excited to “fight” past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Madrid

Alexander Zverev survived a major test against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to earn his place in the round of 16 at the Madrid Open. The German star came from behind to beat the Spaniard 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(0) in two hours and 44 minutes, extending his head-to-head record to 5-1 against Davidovich Fokina. After the match, he revealed that he was excited about fighting his way into the match after the first set.

Nonetheless, Zverev beating Davidovich Fokina proves the German has begun to gain more confidence on the court. If the match was played a month ago, Fokina would have the court as the winner because of the poor run of form Zverev was going through then.

Alexander Zverev to face a very tough test against Francisco Cerundolo

Alexander Zverev has never beaten Francisco Cerundolo in his career. The duo have met twice, with their latest at the Argentina Open in February, where the 26-year-old defeated the German on clay. In fact, it was their second clay meeting. The Madrid Open round of 16 will be on the same surface and Cerundolo looms favorite to earn the victory.

However, Zverev’s form since the BMW Open will give him the confidence he needs to face the Argentine. He has been playing well recently and he’s on a run of seven consecutive match wins for the first time this season. He looks in good shape ahead of his tie against Cerundolo, who has sizeable experience on clay.

Also, despite Zverev having a better chance of defeating Cerundolo in terms of form and rankings, the Argentine holds a psychological edge over the World No.2. This is because Cerundolo has nothing to lose or gain in the match, while Zverev has much to gain. A win over the Argentine will seal Zverev’s place at No.2 in the ATP rankings and also give him confidence ahead of his title defense at the Italian Open.

Also read: (In pictures) Alexander Zverev adds to clay calling controversy after taking on-court camera snap at Madrid Open

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