Alexander Zverev exchanges heated words with crowd after time violation in shocking upset against local favorite at Argentina Open

Alexander Zverev recently had a heated exchange with the Argentine crowd during his quarterfinal match at the Argentina Open against home favorite Francisco Cerúndolo. The German ATP star struggled throughout the hard-fought match, and the passionate crowd strongly supported Cerúndolo. This made it even more challenging for Zverev to maintain his composure.

Francisco Cerúndolo kept Argentina’s hopes alive for a home champion late Friday night. The fifth seed defeated top seed Alexander Zverev 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the ATP 250 tournament. Initially, Cerúndolo struggled in the windy conditions and fell behind by a set and a break. Zverev, ranked No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, seemed to have the match under control. However, Cerúndolo turned the match around. He found his rhythm, broke Zverev twice, despite being down 1-2 in a set, and won four consecutive games.

During the showdown, Zverev received a time violation warning. This occurred while the ATP star led 30-0, and he subsequently faced a breakpoint against the Argentine. In the midst of this, the crowd cheered for the home player while also teasing the German. Losing his cool because of the crowd's behavior, he said:

"Respect the players a little bit."

With this win, Cerúndolo improved his head-to-head record against Zverev to 2-0. He will now face Pedro Martínez in the semi-finals. Martínez moved into the final four after Lorenzo Musetti pulled out of their quarter-final match due to an injury.

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Francisco Cerundolo celebrates biggest win of his career over Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev and Francisco Cerundolo Tennis: ATP Tour - Argentina Open - Source: Getty

The victory over Alexander Zverev unlocked a major milestone for Francisco Cerundolo. The hard-fought match resulted in the Argentine's first career victory over a top-2 ranked player. The 26-year-old expressed excitement over the fact that he showcased a commendable performance in front of his friends and family.

“I’m very happy—it’s probably the best win of my career in terms of ranking. “He’s No. 2 in the world, playing incredible tennis, so, I mean, to be able to beat him here in Buenos Aires with my home crowd, my family, my people and my friends, it’s amazing. It's probably the best feeling I've ever had," he said, in a post match interview.

This defeat concluded Alexander Zverev's second campaign of the season. As he looks to the remainder of the year, it remains to be seen if he can secure a title.