02/27/2021 21:53
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 02/28/2021 9:14 PM
Juan Manuel Cerúndolo
put the finishing touch to a dream week at the
Córdoba Open
.
The Argentine, 335th in the ranking and coming from the standings, defeated Spanish
Albert Ramos Viñolas
6-0, 2-6 and 6-2
, 47th in the world and fifth favorite.
Thus, he added the first title of his career in the tournament that marked his debut on the major men's tennis circuit.
The Buenos Aires-born southpaw was intractable in the first set.
Well focused on the game, in the second game he got a break to go ahead 2-0, taking advantage of an error by the European, who left the shot in the net and gave up his serve.
With the advantage on the scoreboard, the porteño continued to be very focused and making the most of his own weapons and the doubts of a rival who had a hard time getting into the game.
He didn't rush when opportunities presented themselves and kept a cool head to play the big points.
🎾 @juanmacerundolo went ahead 4-0 in the first set against @ albertramos88 in the final of @CordobaOpen pic.twitter.com/IxtbaZ6RxD
- Córdoba Open (@CordobaOpen) February 28, 2021
Thus, it did not take long to stretch the difference and in 20 minutes of play, he got 4-0 up with another break, which he achieved with a great rise to the net.
That mentality and lucidity of the Argentine was in evidence in the fifth game.
Because although he continued to set the speed of the game, he also began to err a little more and Ramos had three chances to recover the serve in that game.
But Cerúndolo lifted all three and then with an unstoppable parallel drive, scored the 5-0.
Cerúndolo, moving the European around the field and making him play at his own pace, again complicated Ramos in his service game in the next game.
And on the fourth chance he got, he made his third break and took the opening set in 41 minutes.
Like all week, the public was able to enjoy the action of the final live.
Photo Twitter @CordobaOpen
At the start of the second set, Ramos began to show his tennis a little more and play with more precision with his shots, forcing the Argentine to play much later.
Thus, the Spanish - who came to be 17th in the ranking and owns two titles - broke in the opening game and held his serve to go ahead 2-0.
Ramos hit again in the fifth game.
Against a Cerúndolo who had lost a lot of precision with his shots, the European added a new break and took a good advantage in the set, 4-1.
The Spaniard, very comfortable on the court, did not let the Argentine distribute the points as at the beginning and thus did not have great problems to close the second set 6-2 and take the definition of the title to the third chapter.
The European extended his good moment at the beginning of the third set and took the serve of his rival to lead 1-0.
And very solid with his right hand, he won his service game for 2-0.
Albert Ramos Viñolas raised the level in the second set and began to complicate the Argentine.
Photo Press Cordoba Open
Cerúndolo did not give up or stop seeking recovery.
And he had his prize.
In the fourth game, he made a break and managed to equalize the score 2-2.
The public present at the stadium enthusiastically celebrated that partial triumph of the Buenos Aires man, who was fed by the harangue of the spectators to endure the logical fatigue of a long week.
With renewed energy, the Argentine broke again in a fought sixth game, with longer points, and went 4-2.
In the next game, Ramos was wrong to close by a couple of points and Cerúndolo did not forgive.
With the score 40-30 and his serve, he patiently spent the Spaniard on the backhand and then closed with a parallel drive that left his rival unanswered.
5-2 for the porteño, to a game of glory.
And in the eighth game, with the Spaniard in service, he sealed the victory with astonishing authority for a player who until this week had not even played a match at the ATP level.
Cerúndolo, who is part of a litter of Argentine racquets that is taking its first steps on the circuit, qualified for its first final on Saturday by defeating his compatriot Federico Coria 6-4, 4-6 and 6-2 in one of the semi duels.
He thus became the youngest Argentine finalist since José Acasuso reached the decisive stage in Buenos Aires in 2001. And also the first debutant to reach an ATP-level final since 2004, the year in which the Spanish Santiago Ventura reached the duel decisive in Casablanca, where he won his only title.
Meanwhile, Ramos Viñolas beat another celestial and white representative, Facundo Bagnis (130 °), who also had a great week and reached the top four of an ATP tournament for the first time with a resounding victory over the Slovak
Josef Kovalik
6-1 and 6-2.
