Argentina Open 2026: three Argentines through to the semis

The Argentina Open 2026 will have three Argentines in the semifinals, a treat for local fans that has only happened once before (2009).  The rare feat began to materialize earlier in the day with wins by Tomás Etcheverry (54) and Francisco Cerúndolo (19). The two will now go up against each other, guaranteeing the third tournament in a row with at least one Argentine in the final. Etcheverry’s match against Chilean Alejandro Tabilo didn’t start the way he or the crowd at the Guillermo Vilas Center Court wanted. Tabilo came out with an incredibly aggressive game plan, attacking constantly and nailing his shot selection. He broke Etcheverry’s serve twice in quick succession and wrapped the first set comfortably. The Chilean’s bombardment eased in the second set, allowing Etcheverry to get a grip and start gaining confidence from the back. He started taking more risks and was able to wrap it up to even the score. It set the stage for a third set in which both players had to go all-in. The decisive stage saw the Argentine crowd come alive. They roared with every point and lamented each missed opportunity, using every pause to chant for the Argentine. It pushed Etcheverry forward at the right time, and he was able to close up the match with his serve. “I had to start over, because it was all going his way and I wasn’t playing well,” he told the Herald in the press conference. “I had to be strong mentally to find solutions [in the second set], and finding a break quickly put me back in the match. That helped me start to play the way I have been recently.” His rival will be No. 1 seed Cerúndolo, who faced the Czech Vit Kopriva (95) in the last match of the day shift. The top-ranked Argentine is one of the biggest favorites for the title but had to navigate some stormy waters to seal his ticket to the semis with a 6-4, 6-3 win.  Like Etcheverry before him, Cerúndolo started the match with some hesitations. He allowed Kopriva to take an early lead but recovered quickly, leaning on the fans to slowly build his confidence and take the first set. It was a similar story in the second set. Cerúndolo took the lead early on, but Kopriva fought back to tie the game at 3-3. The Argentine’s reaction once again came through the roar of the fans, as he broke his rival’s serve again to wrap up the game. “It was a tough match,” Cerúndolo said later. “He played some great tennis, pressuring me a lot, being aggressive, and playing flat shots, which you don’t always see in this kind of tournament.” The 27-year-old admitted he “didn’t play his best” but highlighted the way he “endured it, found solutions, and got to turn the match around.”  Báez triumphs in Argentine duel, Darderi the last semifinalist The night shift opener pitted two Argentines against each other, Sebastián Báez (34) and Camilo Ugo Carabelli (47), for a spot in the other semifinal. It was a comfortable win for Báez, who, despite some moments of hesitation, took the win 7-6 (5), 6-2. It was a toe-to-toe first set, where Báez’s consistency from the baseline clashed with Carabelli’s high-risk, high-reward shotmaking. The former had chances to wrap it up earlier, but the latter mounted a furious — and slightly tantrum-fed — comeback. It went to a tiebreak, where Báez sealed it. In the second set, Carabelli dropped his level considerably, especially physically. It helped Báez take a solid lead and run away with it, sealing it with his serve. “Today, the crowd was a bit split. We were both Argentines, both from Buenos Aires,” said Báez about the atmosphere at the stadium. “I generally try to use it to my advantage, but at difficult moments I know my biggest supporters will be in my box, and I try to rely more on them.” The 25-year-old, the active Argentine tennis player with the most titles (8), said something he changed from his younger days was his use of social media. “I used to be very on top of it, and I realized it hurt me,” he said. “I’ve taken a big step back from it, and now I find it much easier to find some quiet when I’m playing or even just enjoying the tournament week.” The last semifinalist was Argentine-born Italian Luciano Darderi (22), who beat Spaniard Pedro Martínez by 7-5, 6-1.  “It’s been a long time since I last played at night; it’s a bit different in Buenos Aires,” Darderi said in the press conference. “I was a bit nervous, and Pedro was very solid. I fought in the tough moments, and in the second set I was able to serve much better, and that helped me.” Cover photo: Tomás Etcheverry