In a disappointing turn of events at the Rio Open, top seed Francisco Cerundolo had to retire from his second-round match against fellow Argentine Thiego Augustin Tirante due to a back injury. Fresh off a home victory the previous week, Cerundolo struggled to find his footing on the court, trailing 6-2, 3-1 when he called it quits on Wednesday evening.
Cerundolo’s withdrawal came as a surprise, especially considering his strong performance just days prior. After losing the first set, he sought assistance from the physiotherapist after the first game of the second set but could not continue after a brief respite. Tirante, who expressed mixed feelings about winning under such circumstances, acknowledged the challenge Cerundolo faced. “It’s not good to win like this, especially with Fran, one of my friends. Any moment, I didn’t see anything,” Tirante commented, noting that he was aware of Cerundolo’s fatigue from the previous week’s exertions.
Tirante’s victory was aided by his powerful serving, including a decisive ace that elevated him to a 3-1 lead in the second set. It was after this moment that Cerundolo approached the net to shake hands, ending what was shaping up to be a tough match.
Next, Tirante will contest against Alejandro Tabilo, who advanced after a tense battle with Italy’s Francesco Passaro, winning 4-6, 7-6(0), 6-2.
In other matches, Ve Lopriva delivered an impressive performance, defeating Roman Andres Burruchaga with a commanding score of 6-3, 6-1. Meanwhile, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the younger sibling of Francisco, picked up the slack for his injured brother by overcoming Germany’s Yannik Hanfmann in a three-set encounter, winning 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-4. He had also previously eliminated the second seed, Luciano Darderi, in an earlier round.
The tournament continues to showcase emerging talent and the resilience of its participants, despite the setbacks faced by prominent players like Cerundolo.
