NEW YORK : Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo said the U.S. Open men’s draw is as open as he can remember after he produced a remarkable comeback to beat ninth seed and former finalist Taylor Fritz on Saturday.
The 24th-seeded Cerundolo recovered from two sets and a break down to defeat American Fritz 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 in the opening match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, securing one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
Only four top-10 seeds remain in the draw, with Novak Djokovic, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur among the other seeded players already eliminated.
“It shows you how even the circuit is right now, how tight every match is, how difficult it is to win matches, because anything can happen right now,” Cerundolo told reporters.
The 28-year-old, who reached the fourth round in New York for the first time, will next face Belgium’s Alexander Blockx after the latter defeated fifth seed Flavio Cobolli.
Cerundolo believes the open draw gives him an opportunity to make his deepest Grand Slam run.
“I’m going for more, I’m not settling,” he told Argentine media.
The Argentine will also have revenge on his mind after losing to Blockx in their only previous meeting, in the last 16 at the Madrid Masters 1000 earlier this year.
