Francisco Cerundolo’s love affair with the Miami Open shows no signs of slowing down. The Argentine world No. 19 stunned Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 to advance to the fourth round on Monday.

The 27-year-old claimed his first top-10 victory of the season, defeating the former world No. 1 who had been in peak form after ending Carlos Alcaraz’s 16-0 start to the year and finishing as runner-up at Indian Wells.

“I felt good in my first-round match here, and now I feel way better,” Cerundolo said. “I'm recovering that confidence. The level was there, I was just trying to find it. Now I’m in the round of 16, so hopefully I can keep it up.”

Cerundolo dominated the opening set, but Medvedev fought back from 1-3 down in the second to force a decider. The two traded high-quality rallies amid the Florida heat, with Cerundolo’s aggressive forehand disrupting Medvedev. He sealed the match with an instinctive winner after two hours and 17 minutes on court.

“I didn’t know what to expect… It was a great match, super tough,” Cerundolo added. “It was my first match against Daniil. He’s probably one of the only guys on tour I’ve never played. He’s had a great year, so I didn’t expect to be up 6-0 in the first set and a break up in the second.”

The match featured an unusual moment when umpire Mohamed Lahyani nearly became entangled with the Spidercam, the aerial camera that flies over the court. Its cables caught on his chair, forcing Lahyani to step down quickly to avoid falling. He later requested that the production team keep the Spidercam away from the chair and players.

Cerundolo has consistently excelled in Miami, highlighted by a semifinal run in his debut in 2022, and quarterfinal appearances in 2023 and 2025. He will next face Frenchman Ugo Humbert.

Medvedev’s defeat ends his bid for a Tour-leading 20th win of the season. The 30-year-old exits Miami with a 19-5 record after winning titles in Brisbane and Dubai.

Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters