Golden Swing still has the big guns
The South American swing is winding down and Santiago followed the script. Clay did the sorting. The favourites showed up. Mostly.
Three of the top four seeds will be in the semifinals of this Chilean ATP 250. Order held. Well, mostly — one upset slipped into the draw.
And it has a name: Hanfmann.
Cerundolo in the fast lane
He left no doubt.
Francisco Cerundolo, winner in Buenos Aires two weeks ago, swept Emilio Nava 6-1, 6-1 in just 1h05.
Only six winners for Nava. Thirty-one unforced errors. The American never found a rhythm. Cerundolo, on clay, ran his script — heavy topspin drives and sudden changes of pace.
Into the semifinals. And another clash to look forward to.
Hanfmann, the surprise package
Yannick Hanfmann wasn’t seeded. But he’s still standing.
After dumping Lajovic and Ugo Carabelli, the German came back to beat lucky loser Vilius Gaubas 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Steady mentally and sharper in the second and third sets, he earned another shot at Cerundolo. The pair met here last year. The Argentine won the third-set tiebreak.
Hanfmann knows the margin is thin.
Darderi and Baez: a powder-keg duel
In the bottom half, the semis look like a settling of scores.
Luciano Darderi outworked his fellow Italian Andrea Pellegrino 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Physical match, long rallies, but the No.2 seed raised his level in the decider.
On the other side, Sebastian Baez keeps writing his Santiago story. Winner here in 2024 and a finalist last year, he dismantled Alejandro Tabilo 7-6, 6-1.
Baez is chasing a third straight final in Santiago. But to get there he’ll have to get past Darderi. The pair are dead even head-to-head, 4-4. And Darderi has already beaten the Argentine this season at the Australian Open and in Buenos Aires.
So the semi looks set to explode.
In Santiago, the clay proved one thing: the Golden Swing isn’t just a warm-up tour.
It’s a place where some build their season.
And where rivalries take root.
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