Cerúndolofilter Settling in Brussels After Dominant Win

The opening game set the tone. Francisco Cerúndolo won the first point on serve and never let go. The 21st-ranked Argentine took control from the start and defeated Frenchman Clément Chidekh 6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour and 16 minutes to reach the semifinals of the Brussels ATP 250.

There was no drama, no comeback, and no space for Chidekh to believe. The 152nd-ranked Frenchman had arrived with two straight victories over players in the top 90, but Cerúndolo left him without a path.

A serve that decided the match

The first set lasted less than 30 minutes. The second was decided by the serve. Cerúndolo served seven aces and won 88 percent of points with his first delivery, a performance that gave him total control of his game.

He also generated six break opportunities and converted just one of them. That was enough. The serve did the heavy lifting and took the Frenchman out of the equation.

“With this win, Cerúndolo reaches his fourth semifinal of the season. He is two victories away from his third title of the year.”Walter Villagra

The numbers reflect an outstanding season. Before Brussels, the Buenos Aires native had played semifinals in Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Queen's. He won the latter two tournaments, and now has the chance to add another title to his 2026 campaign.

• Semifinal opponent options: Tallon Griekspoor (60th) or Jirí Lehecka (20th).
• Against Griekspoor, Cerúndolo has one win and no losses.
• Against Lehecka, the record is two defeats and no victories.
• Cerúndolo is the only Argentine still in contention this week on the circuit.

The weekend brings a key test. Lehecka is a much harder obstacle on paper, but Cerúndolo already knows how to play against the Dutchman Griekspoor and has a positive history. The rest of the Argentine contingent was eliminated. Navone fell to Griekspoor, Etcheverry and Díaz Acosta were knocked out in Almaty, and Báez lost in Lyon.