Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Buenos Aires match.
The quarter-final of the Argentina Open (ATP 250) will see top seed Alexander Zverev take on one of the local favourites, fifth seed Francisco Cerundolo. Surprisingly, despite Zverev’s higher ranking, it is Cerundolo who leads their head-to-head record.
Alexander Zverev
Zverev's only defeat to the Argentine came on clay at the Madrid Masters last spring (3:6, 4:6), proving that Cerundolo is no easy opponent on this surface. The German struggled more than expected in his opening match against Dušan Lajović (6:4, 6:4), despite the Serbian being ranked 81st in the world.
Francisco Cerundolo
The Argentine is currently ranked 28th and has had strong results on clay. In July 2024, he won the ATP 250 title in Umag, defeating Lorenzo Musetti (2:6, 6:4, 7:6) in the final. So far in Buenos Aires, Cerundolo has been dominant, winning both his matches in straight sets: Luciano Darderi (6:4, 6:4) in the first round and Juan Manuel Cerundolo (6:2, 6:3) in the second round.
Alexander Zverev vs Francisco Cerundolo Prediction
Apart from his head-to-head lead over Zverev, Cerundolo has also shown his ability to challenge top players. At the Paris Masters, he defeated Andrey Rublev (7:6, 7:6) and pushed Stefanos Tsitsipas to three sets (7:6, 4:6, 2:6). Given his home advantage, solid clay-court form, and ability to trouble top-15 players, this match is likely to be highly competitive. We expect a close battle, making a +3.5 handicap bet on Cerundolo a solid option.
