Match Report
Cerundolo continues impressive ‘Golden Swing’ in Santiago, Nava breaks American drought
Nava becomes first American quarter-finalist in tournament history, Baez wins
February 26, 2026
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Francisco Cerundolo won the ATP 250 title in Buenos Aires earlier this month.
By Sam Jacot
Top seed Francisco Cerundolo earned his sixth clay-court win of the season on Thursday at the BCI Seguros Chile Open in Santiago. The Argentine recorded an opening-round 6-2, 6-2 triumph against Elmer Moller to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP 250 event.
Cerundolo lifted the trophy on home soil in Buenos Aires for the first time earlier this month, a moment which the Argentine described as the ‘best moment of his career so far’. After a second-round exit in Rio de Janeiro, the World No. 19 was dominant throughout his 71-minute win against Moller.
“I grew up my whole life playing on clay,” Cerundolo said. “I developed my game on clay, so I try to always do [well] on this surface. I have been doing better and better every year. I am super happy with my level and how I have been playing the last week and this year. I am feeling really good on clay.”
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In the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, the 27-year-old won 89 per cent of his first-serve points and did not face a break point, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
The Argentine will next play Emilio Nava after the 24-year-old defeated Paraguayan qualifier Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 7-5, 6-3 to become the first American quarter-finalist in tournament history. The World No. 79 is also the first American man to reach a tour-level quarter-final on South American clay since Rajeev Ram in 2017 in Quito.
Nava upset the former No. 6 player in the PIF ATP Rankings Matteo Berrettini in his first match at the ATP 250 event and then produced a clean-hitting display to down Vallejo and reach his second ATP Tour quarter-final.
In other second-round action on Thursday, Sebastian Baez successfully bounced back from a first-round exit in Rio de Janeiro, when he defeated home hope Cristian Garin 7-6(2), 1-6, 7-5 in a clash of former champions. With the victory, the 2024 winner marched into his fifth consecutive quarter-final at the ATP 250 clay-court event.
“Everything [is special here], the people, the tournament, the conditions,” Baez said. “The crowd today was good because I played a Chilean guy. Thank you for the respect.”
The Argentine will face Alejandro Tabilo or countryman Thiago Agustin Tirante for a place in the semi-finals.