Argentinian Juan Manuel Cerundolo pulled off the biggest upset of his career on Friday, stunning world number 13 and two-time champion Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals of the Swiss Open Gstaad 2025 with a dramatic 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory.
Cerundolo staged a stunning six-game streak from 0-3 down in the final set to snap Ruud’s perfect 10-0 record at the tournament and book his place in the semi-finals.
Set 1
Cerundolo started strong, catching Ruud flat-footed with aggressive baseline play and clever shot variation. The Argentine broke early and maintained control with a high first-serve percentage and consistent depth.
Despite hitting three double faults, Cerundolo held his nerve in the opening set with sharp returning and clutch defence. He broke Ruud three times in four return games, winning a remarkable 88% of pressure points (7 of 8) and saving 4 of 5 break points faced.
The Argentine outperformed Ruud in nearly every statistical category:
Cerundolo converted all three of his break-point opportunities, committed just 10 unforced errors compared to Ruud’s 17, and won more total points (32 to 27).
Ruud’s second serve was a liability; he won just 1 of 7 points behind it (14%), compared to Cerundolo’s 45%. Though the set lasted 44 minutes, the scoreboard told a clearer story: Cerundolo was the more composed and opportunistic player.
Set 2
Ruud flipped the script in the second set by tightening his game and ramping up efficiency. He won 60% of total points (33 to 22) and was untouchable on serve, holding all four of his service games.
With a serve rating of 298 and a dominant ratio of 1.61, the Norwegian controlled the tempo, winning 71% of first serve points and 67% behind his second serve.
Cerundolo, meanwhile, struggled to stay in rallies, hitting 14 unforced errors and landing only 50% of service points. He failed to convert either of his two break chances and couldn’t manage a single return game.
Ruud also converted 2 out of 4 break points and won two-thirds of the set’s pressure points (4 of 6), asserting himself as the more consistent and composed player through a 39-minute turnaround.
Set 3
In a dramatic shift, Cerundolo once again outplayed Ruud in the deciding set, this time by holding his nerve on the big points. He converted 3 of 4 break points and won 70% of pressure points, showing great mental strength down the stretch.
Though their first-serve percentages were nearly even (Cerundolo 69%, Ruud 70%), Ruud could not back up his serve. He won 0% of his second-serve points (0/6) and just 40% of total service points. Cerúndolo punished every short ball, firing 11 winners to Ruud’s 5 and finishing with a dominance ratio of 1.28, far superior to Ruud’s 0.78.
Ruud’s returning also fell short, with a return rating of just 174 compared to Cerundolo’s elite 293. In the end, Cerundolo won 56% of the total points in the set (29 to 23), breaking Ruud three times and sealing the win in 47 minutes.
After the match, Cerundolo analysed his win by saying, "It was pretty tough. He was being much more aggressive than me and he was leading me easily then," reflected Cerundolo in his on-court interview. "I think I stuck there mentally, didn’t let the match go and I came out at 0-3 with the wind in my favour. With the help of the wind and maybe some mistakes from him, it was 1-3.".
"Then suddenly it was 2-3, and when I was only one break down, I started to feel confident again and battled again more. I was more confident, more aggressive, and started hitting harder. I think that was the key to my comeback in the final set.".
He will now be looking forward to his semi final against Peruvian player Ignacio Buse on Saturday, July 19.
Sean Killen is a contributing journalist for both DartsNews.com and Tennisuptodate.com, where he balances his university studies with writing news updates, player features, and match reports across both sports.
Before joining the sites, Sean built experience across student and professional media. He serves as TV News Director for Cardiff University TV (CUTV), has reported for Gair Rhydd and The Cardiff Times, and produced viral news coverage that gained international attention. His reporting spans sports, breaking news, and human-interest features, and he’s worked across platforms including print, online, radio, and video.
Sean has followed the ATP and WTA tennis tours closely for years, with a growing interest in darts through the Premier League and World Championship circuits. He brings a sharp eye for storytelling, a commitment to accuracy, and a passion for making niche sports accessible to wider audiences.
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