By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, September 5, 2026
Picture credit score: Jon Buckle/ROLEX
NEW YORK—Driving a two-set lead and up a break within the third, Taylor Fritz was in cruise management.
Then Francisco Cerundolo started firing his forehand, turning Arthur Ashe Stadium into an enormous sinkhole for Fritz’s US Open goals.
World No. 25 Cerundolo made his Ashe Stadium debut one to recollect, rallying for a dramatic 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Fritz combating into the US Open fourth spherical for the primary time.
“I used to be, , fortunate to get via the primary and the second units, simply because he wasn’t serving nice,” Fritz mentioned. “He was making some errors. So I used to be capable of get breaks after which simply type of battle via, like, service video games. Like, he had so many alternatives to interrupt me. I used to be taking part in excellent from the baseline.
“He was making some errors on these factors. I performed a few of these factors fairly effectively. I simply wanted to serve a bit higher. He performed an excellent sport to interrupt me to begin the — to get the break again within the third. It was type of simply the identical factor that had been taking place, as I wasn’t serving in addition to I usually do.”
It was Cerundolo’s second profession comeback from a two-set deficit as he denied Fritz’s bid to affix Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Frances Tiafoe because the fourth American man to succeed in 4 consecutive US Open fourth rounds on this century.
The Argentinean owns an enormous inside-out forehand. Right this moment, Cerundolo hammered his inside-in forehand with menacing intent because the three hour, 40-minute match progressed.
“I’m tremendous blissful, to be trustworthy,” Cerundolo mentioned. “Taking part in my first match on Ashe, being down two units to zero taking part in in opposition to Taylor, a top-10 man, made last right here. He at all times carried out actually good right here.
“So I imply, he was taking part in an incredible tennis. Yeah, with the ability to come again from that match is improbable
for me. I’m tremendous pleased with myself, and I feel I performed actually good tennis within the fourth and the fifth set.”
It’s a gut-wrenching loss for Washington, DC champion Fritz, who had posted a 10-1 report on residence soil since July.
The ninth-seeded Fritz is the sixth High 10 males’s seed to fall earlier than the fourth spherical. Fritz joins third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime, who misplaced to Karen Khachanov within the second spherical, fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic, surprised by Mariano Navone within the opening spherical, No. 5-seeded French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli, who misplaced to Alexander Blockx at present, sixth-seeded Aussie Alex de Minaur, who bowed to Botic van de Zandschulp within the second spherical and Tenth-seeded Cincinnati champion Arthur Fils, who was defeated by Stefanos Tsitsipas in his opener, in being bounced out of New York.
Although Fritz really received two extra factors at present (150 to 148), Cerundolo cranked extra winners—41 to 37—and transformed six of his 9 break-point possibilities.
The ultimate set took a dramatic flip within the final three video games.
Dealing with triple break level down 3-4 within the last set, Cerundolo stubbornly dug in with defiance and denied all three break factors to degree the decider.
Strengthened by that battle, Cerundolo caught a break within the ninth sport. Fritz opened with a double fault then was compelled to reply off his again foot as Cerundolo cranked an inside-in forehand for break factors.
At that time, Fritz appeared to snap a shoelace and took a short timeout to alter it. Returning to courtroom, Fritz caught as much as a net-cord shot, lined up his forehand however netted his shot then bounced his Head racquet off the courtroom in frustration as Cerundolo broke for 5-4.
“I imply, he positively obtained extra assured in his pictures. He performed loads higher,” Fritz mentioned. “From the baseline I felt like what received me the primary two units was that from the baseline I used to be taking part in rather well, and I feel that he began taking part in extra aggressive and making much less errors. It simply makes it harder.”
Nonetheless, closure was difficult as Cerundolo rallied from Love-30 whipping a heavy serve to edge forward 40-30. When Frtiz’s last shot missed the mark, Cerundolo was into the fourth spherical for the primary time.
Fritz confirmed class within the aftermath of a stinging defeat, embracing Cerundolo at internet.
It’s been the season of Cerundolo at two Slams this summer time. Youthful brother Juan Manuel Cerundolo upset world No. 1 Jannik Sinner 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 en path to the Roland Garros fourth spherical in June.
The 28-year-old Cerundolo strikes on to face Blockx with a maiden US Open quarterfinal on the road for each males.
For Fritz, this Flushing Meadows fail is a significant alternative misplaced. Fritz, who permitted simply 11 video games en path to the third spherical, was taking part in for a second US Open last within the final three years to take advantage of a draw that lacks No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who withdrew with a proper knee damage, and Grand Slam king Djokovic.
Fritz’s demise leaves six American males nonetheless within the area: No. 8-seeded Ben Shelton, Eleventh-seeded Frances Tiafoe, 14th-seeded Learner Tien, No. 20-seeded Tommy Paul, Alex Michelsen and NCAA champion Michael Zheng of Columbia College.
Ultimately, Fritz was left working what may need been.
“The primary set, two and a half units, I felt like he wasn’t serving nice. When he made his first serves, the spots weren’t at all times nice, and the proportion was not tremendous excessive,” Fritz mentioned. “Then I felt just like the fourth and fifth he served unimaginable, spots nice. He served rather well. He served himself out of bother within the fifth.
“My degree from the baseline simply declined a bit bit. I wasn’t hitting the ball nearly as good as I used to be earlier within the match. When that occurs, it will get a bit harder to play these stress moments, as a result of I’m a bit extra not sure about my ball putting.”
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