Cerúndolo shines on Indian Wells debut, beats van de Zandschulp | OneFootball

Leaving behind the South American clay courts, Juan Manuel Cerúndolo (ATP ranking No. 70) began his journey at the Indian Wells Masters 1000 with a significant victory over the Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp (ranked 59th). It was 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), and 6-3 in 2h 42min, marking his first career win in the American tournament.

The 24-year-old Argentine, currently at his highest historical ranking, arrived in the Californian desert after a 4-year absence. In 2022, as the world No. 119, he was taking his first steps in the world's most demanding circuit months after his triumph at the ATP 250 in Córdoba and lost to the experienced American Jack Sock in the first round.

This time, with much more experience under his belt, he faced the Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp at the start of his campaign. The previous encounters, all of which occurred outside the ATP Tour, favored the pupil of Sebastian Prieto: he won all 3 past matches, including the most recent one in the qualifying phase of the Madrid Masters 1000 last season.

Characterized as a roller coaster of crossed breaks that mostly resulted in numerical ties, the match saw the Argentine's most solid version in the decisive moments of the duel. Improving as the exchanges went on, he secured his first victory in the tournament by 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), and 6-3 in 2h 42min to advance to the second round where he awaits the Frenchman.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.