Cerundolo, eliminated in Madrid semifinals: "I made a lot of mistakes"

Francisco Cerundolo's first Masters 1000 final will have to wait. The Argentine, competing in the semifinals of this tournament category for the second time in his career, fell, just as he did previously in Miami in 2022, to Casper Ruud (6-4, 7-5).

After the match, the world No. 21—who will rise to No. 18 on Monday (his career-high ranking)—shared his thoughts following his defeat against the Norwegian.

"It was a very bad match. I made a lot of mistakes. At times I played very well, and at other times very poorly. But I’m happy, and in a few days, I’ll take the positives from this match. This is my second Masters 1000 semifinal, and I can’t criticize myself for what I’ve done this week.

"It wasn’t so much nerves or anxiety. I missed a lot of opportunities, and every time you miss one, it becomes harder to capitalize on the next. Obviously, it’s impossible to create a huge number of break points.

"I managed to get some, but I didn’t convert enough. When I played passively, he won the points, and when I attacked, the ball went out of bounds.

"I’m leaving here with my highest ranking. I didn’t play my best tennis in Madrid, but I still competed at a good level. I hope this match doesn’t take away the confidence I need to play in Rome. There’s a lot of frustration in my mind right now, but I think with time, I’ll see things more clearly," he told *Marca* in recent hours.