ROLAND GARROS

June 3, 2023

Francisco Cerundolo

Press Conference

F. CERUNDOLO/T. Fritz

3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Well done. First time second week of a Grand Slam. How do you feel and how was the match today?

FRANCISCO CERUNDOLO: Yeah, thank you. Super happy. It was a really tough match. He's a top-10 player. I knew what kind of match this was going to be.

Yeah, first set was a bit tense. I didn't play well. After, I think I started playing better, more aggressive, less errors. But of course it was a great battle so I'm super happy to get the win and be in the second week of a Grand Slam.

Yeah, hopefully I can keep going and keep playing like this. I'm playing more with confidence, and I'm really happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You have beaten three top-10 players the last six weeks. Can you tell me something about that, and do you feel you belong in the top 10 yourself?

FRANCISCO CERUNDOLO: No, I don't feel I belong to the top 10 because I'm not even top 20. I think I'm going to be top 20 or probably close to that next week. But I'm working to get to that level, I think I'm closer, but I have to keep going, to keep winning, and keep improving. So hopefully one day I can be in that top-10 players.

But yeah, I don't know. I have been playing really good. I have beaten many players that are top 10, top 20 this past month. Yeah, my level is improving for sure, but I don't belong to that top-10 guys. Yeah, I don't know.

I'm happy to be winning to those players and the other ones also.

Q. I was at Lenglen watching the atmosphere in the end. It was pretty crazy. Seemed to have a good crowd behind you from Argentina and France. You play against Holger Rune, who's sometimes an audience pleaser, sometimes against him. What do you expect of the atmosphere of the match and do you think they will mainly support you or Holger?

FRANCISCO CERUNDOLO: Yeah, today was super nice, first time on Lenglen. Was wild. I knew what Taylor did at the other match so probably I knew that today the crowd was going to be by my side. I think it was most of the match.

With Holger, yeah, it will be wild, for sure. He likes to engage the crowd, play with them. Sometimes they are against him, but sometimes they are with him because he's a great player.

But, yeah, it's going to be fun. I'm going to enjoy it. Hopefully they will be by my side. It will probably be, I don't know, 50/50.

Q. You played Holger once in your life in a challenger. How do you remember that match and what do you think of Holger?

FRANCISCO CERUNDOLO: Yeah, I played him in 2019 I think in a challenger. It was the week after he won here the French Open junior, I think. I don't remember too much. I knew he was going to be a great guy because he was 16 or whatever, and he was playing amazing.

But now he's top-10, top-5 guy. He did amazing this past week. Final in Monte-Carlo and Rome, title in Munich. He's a great clay court player so it's going to be a really tough match. I hope I can play the level I have been playing these past days, because I think I have my chances but I'm going to focus on my game and try to play my best and get the win.