Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Inspired by Argentina’s ultimate sporting hero Diego Maradona, Francisco Cerundolo has blasted his way to victory in the Queen’s Club Championship.
Indeed, to twist a famous line, it could be said Cerundolo’s victory at the celebrated 145-year-old tournament came “a little with the forehand of Francisco and a little with the hand of God.”
For the late, great Maradona’s presence was with the 27-year-old from Buenos Aires as he beat American former champ Tommy Paul 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-3 to become the first ever Argentine winner of the biggest grass-court event outside of SW19.
Cerundolo had a Maradona Argentina shirt draped over a chair in his player’s box throughout the tournament, revealing: “It wasn’t my idea, it was a friend that brought it and they put it there, and because I won my second match, it’s sat there until the end of the tournament!
“It’s good bringing an Argentinian flag. We are in the month of the World Cup — so it’s always special for all of us.”
Indeed, his victory came on the eve of the 40th anniversary of Maradona’s legendary ‘hand of God’ goal, which along with his equally celebrated dazzling individual effort in the same match, torpedoed England in the World Cup at Mexico’s Azteca Stadium.
And this proved a special day too for Argentine sport as Cerundolo, the world No.27 with the blistering forehand, came from a set down for the third match in a row to lift the title in what, at three hours and four minutes in searing heat, was the longest Queen’s final in history.
It topped by seven minutes Marin Cilic’s celebrated 2018 win over Novak Djokovic, a treat for Cerundolo’s parents who’d flown from Argentina a couple of days earlier to watch.
“It’s the first time my dad took a flight and watched me outside Argentina. Congratulations for Father’s Day!” he beamed.
For Paul, though, it was a first defeat in 10 matches at Queen’s after he won the title in 2024, before being unable to defend his crown last year because of injury.
Both players, though, can look forward to Wimbledon safe in the knowledge that, in their current excellent form, they’ll be opponents to be avoided.
Elsewhere in the Wimbledon build-up, another American Frances Tiafoe showed why he’ll be a handful too as he defeated Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4 to win the Halle Open in Germany, snapping a seven-match losing streak against his compatriot too.
