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Francisco Cerundolo started the season with no wins at Majors. The Argentine has already scored five at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, reaching the third round in Melbourne and heading a step further in Paris. Francisco took down Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen in two hours and 50 minutes for a place in the last 16.
The 9th seed repeated his Roland Garros result from four years ago, missing a chance to force a decider and falling in four sets despite giving his best. Taylor fired nine aces and played better behind the first serve. However, he struggled on the second and lost 38% of the points in his games, the same number as his opponent.
There were 36 break points, with Cerundolo seizing six out of 21 and getting broke four times from 15 chances offered to Fritz. Francisco had the upper hand with his forehand, firing 40 winners and 56 unforced errors and leaving Taylor on a 24-41 ratio.
The American built a slight edge in the shortest range up to four strokes, although he needed more for a more favorable result. The Argentine erased that deficit in the mid-range exchanges and won three points more than his opponent.
Fritz made a better start and grabbed a break in the encounter's fourth game after Cerundolo's backhand error. Francisco saved another break point in game six with a mighty forehand and broke back at 2-4 with another forehand winner.
His more powerful wing let him down in the eighth game, spraying errors and allowing Fritz to build the second advantage. Taylor served for the opener at 5-3 and experienced four break points. He saved them and seized the first set point with an ace down the T line for 6-3 in 43 minutes.
Cerundolo erased a 40-0 deficit at 1-1 in the second set and landed a volley winner at the net in the next one for a 3-1 lead. From 4-1 down, Fritz returned to 3-4 with a break in game seven thanks to Cerundolo's loose backhand.
Francisco Cerundolo defeated Taylor Fritz in four sets at Roland Garros.
Instead of building on that, the American lost serve again in game eight following a wayward forehand that sent the Argentine 5-3 up. Francisco served out for the set in game nine with a service winner to level the score at 1-1.
Fritz barely lost a point in the third set's opening four service games. He created a break point in the fourth game and squandered it to keep the rival on the positive side. The American netted a forehand in the ninth game to drop serve and fall 5-4 behind.
Cerundolo faced three break points while serving for the set in game ten and denied them. He converted the second set point with a forehand down the line winner to open two sets to one advantage after an hour and 59 minutes.
Taylor lost serve again in the fourth set's third game and found himself 3-1 behind. Still pushing strong, he broke back in game six after the rival's backhand error to lock the result at 3-3. Cerundolo netted a routine forehand at 4-5 and faced a set point.
He saved it with a service winner and held for 5-5 and a boost. The Argentine forced the American's mistake in the 11th game to grab a crucial break and serve for the victory at 6-5. Cerundolo seized the second match point with an unreturned serve to emerge at the top and start a massive celebration.