Argentine tennis players Francisco Cerúndolo (27th ATP singles ranked) and Tomás Etcheverry (29) sealed their tickets to the third round in a day five at Roland Garros muddled by rain delays. They are now the last remaining Albiceleste representatives in the men’s singles draw, as top-ranked Argentine Sebastián Báez (20) and Mariano Navone (31) lost their matches.

Cerúndolo became the first South American to make it into the third round of Roland Garros 2024, once again dispelling any doubts by sweeping Austrian Filip Misolic (243) by 6-2, 7-6 (2), and 6-0.  The Argentine thoroughly outclassed his rival in just two hours and four minutes and is now just one win away from his best performance in the French capital, where he reached the round of 16 last year. 

“Every player brings out their best in a Grand Slam, so every game is a tough one and every win is important,” said Cerúndolo after the game. He’ll now face U.S. player Tommy Paul on Saturday, who leads their head-to-head tally 3-2. Cerúndolo won their only duel on clay, however, at this year’s Madrid Masters 1000.

Etcheverry had a much harder time getting into the next round, at one point being down 3-6 and 6-7 (8) against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech (69). He found his form in the third set, where he rallied back to a 6-1 win to keep the match going. 

With the Argentine already 2-0 up in the fourth, Rinderknech let frustration get the best of him. He kicked one of the court’s ad boards and injured his foot, forcing him to walk out of the game when the set was 5-0 for Etcheverry’s win. The Argentine will now face world number seven, Norwegian Casper Ruud, on Saturday for a spot in the next round.

In the doubles draw, world number one Horacio Zeballos and his partner Marcel Granollers beat French duo Adrian Mannarino and Fabrice Martin 6-2 and 6-2 in their debut. They’ll face Austrian duo Lucas Miedler and Alexander Erler (both with a ATP doubles-ranking of 45th) for a spot in the next round. Zeballos and Granollers are chasing their first Roland Garros title after reaching semis in 2022 and 2023.

Good news ended there for the Argentines in Paris, as Báez couldn’t keep focus after rain delayed his match when he was 6-3, 6-3 ahead against Austrian Sebastian Ofner (45), eventually losing three sets in a row by 6-4, 7-5 and 7-6. Mariano Navone (31) fell to another Austrian, Filip Misolic (243), by 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 1-6, and 6-1 after 2 hours and 59 minutes.