Australian No. 1 Alex de Minaur has been eliminated from the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells after suffering a surprising defeat to Francisco Cerundolo in the round of 16. The Argentine managed to upset De Minaur with a 7-5, 6-3 victory, securing his spot in the quarter-finals.
Despite having multiple opportunities, De Minaur struggled to capitalize on break points, converting just three of his 14 chances, while Cerundolo was far more clinical, converting six of his seven break-point opportunities. De Minaur’s performance was marred by 39 unforced errors, and he only managed to hit nine winners in the one-hour and 50-minute encounter.
The match was fiercely contested from the outset. Cerundolo saved a set point on his serve at 5-5 in the first set and went on to capitalize on De Minaur’s erratic play. The Australian, who had been in solid form coming into the match, was unable to replicate his usual consistency, struggling with his groundstrokes and overall rhythm. Cerundolo, who had been knocked out by De Minaur in the Australian Open earlier in the year, seized his opportunity and turned the tables, dominating the second set after a tight first.
Despite the loss, De Minaur had been in excellent form leading up to the match, having advanced to the round of 16 without dropping a set. However, it was Cerundolo who showed the greater resolve on the day, producing a high-level performance to notch a memorable win. This victory marks Cerundolo’s fifth ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final appearance, further cementing his status as one of the rising stars in men’s tennis.
“I’m super happy; I knew it was going to be a battle today,” said Cerundolo after the match. “Alex is an amazing player, a fighter. He’s had great years, and he’s a top-10 player. We had a battle in Australia, and it went his way, but today I had another opportunity. I think I did really well and I’m super happy to beat such a high-quality player and reach the quarter-finals here in Indian Wells.”
Cerundolo now looks ahead to a quarter-final clash against either two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov. The Argentine will be hoping to continue his strong run, which includes a recent ATP final appearance in Buenos Aires, as he aims to secure another deep run in a Masters 1000 event.
In other action, Jack Draper also advanced to the quarter-finals, defeating third seed Taylor Fritz in straight sets. Draper played a brilliant match, winning seven consecutive games from late in the first set to seal a 7-5, 6-4 victory. The young Brit will now face American 11th seed Ben Shelton, who triumphed over Brandon Nakashima with a 7-6, 6-1 scoreline.
As the tournament progresses, Cerundolo’s win has been one of the standout results, with his clinical performance overshadowing De Minaur’s uncharacteristic errors. The quarter-finals are shaping up to be an exciting stage, with several high-profile names vying for the title at one of the sport’s most prestigious events.
