Argentine tennis player Juan Manuel Cerúndolo (85th) starred in a dramatic final match to defeat his compatriot Juan Bautista Torres (353rd) and advance to the quarterfinals of the Challenger in Rosario. According to the Argentine News Agency, Cerúndolo won 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, in an encounter that lasted over 2:40 hours on the central court of the Rosario Jockey Club. Thus, Juan Manuel Cerúndolo is the second Argentine to advance to the quarterfinals, where he will play against Italian Andrea Pellegrino (143rd) for a place in the semifinal. The first set went largely in favor of Torres. Born in Vicente López, he managed to break in his first game on the return, with a wide cross-court forehand from his rival and was effective with the drops. Staying on the defensive but with a great ability to return complicated balls, Torres saved two break points in the third game to go up 3-0 at the break. With good effectiveness on volleys and showing himself very firm in the rallies, a backhand from Cerúndolo that went wide gave the set to his rival, 6-3. In a second set that started evenly, with breaks alternating in the fifth and sixth games, Cerúndolo began to hit high balls more and more frequently, while Torres tried to bring them down and add speed to counterattack. Starting to feel better and with fewer errors, 'Juanma' had three break and set points in the second set, when he was up 5-4, and was able to take the second of them, thanks to a backhand from Torres that went wide. In a third set where parity continued, both players had achieved a break until the sixth game, in which a wide backhand from Torres allowed his rival another break. The drama came at the end: up 5-3 and serving for the match, Cerúndolo suffered a cramp in his left quadriceps that left him immobilized. After winning a point with an underhand serve, and trying to run down the clock on every opportunity he had, 'Juanma' went all in, hit two stunning parallel forehands, and sealed his passage to the quarterfinals, barely able to move.
