Both Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Ignacio Buse are South American clay-court players who have enjoyed successful seasons, but both are competing outside their preferred conditions here. That should make this a closely fought and competitive contest.
Cerundolo, however, appears to hold a slight edge thanks to his greater experience in these conditions, having reached the quarter-finals here last year, as well as the improvements he has shown on hard courts this season.
Cerundolo Chases A Breakthrough In Winston-Salem
- Cerundolo lost his only previous quarterfinal at Winston-Salem in 2023.
- He has a 5–8 record against Top 50 players in 2026.
- Buse has a 3–1 record in tour-level quarterfinals.
- He has a 20–10 record against players outside the Top 50 this year.
HTH - Juan Manuel Cerundolo leads 2-0
| Year | Tournament | Round | Surface | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Gstaad | SF | Clay | Juan Manuel Cerundolo | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2024 | Lima 2 Challenger | R1 | Clay | Juan Manuel Cerundolo | 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 |
Juan Manuel Cerundolo Eyes a First Hard-Court Semifinal
Juan Manuel Cerundolo secured his place in the quarterfinals in Winston-Salem after his opponent, Sebastian Baez, retired while trailing 4-6, 0-4. He had also defeated lucky loser Dhakshineswar Suresh in straight sets earlier in the tournament.
He recently registered back-to-back tour-level main-draw wins on hard courts for the first time in three years by reaching the third round in Cincinnati last week and has continued that momentum this week.
The 24-year-old has produced breakthrough results this season, reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros, the quarterfinals in Eastbourne and Rio de Janeiro, and the semifinals in Gstaad. These results helped him achieve a career-high ranking of No. 42 a few months ago.
This is his second quarterfinal appearance in Winston-Salem and only his second tour-level quarterfinal on hard courts. His previous one came here on his debut in 2023, when he lost to Borna Coric. He will now be looking for his best result yet on the surface.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | Argentina |
| Age | Born 15 November 2001 |
| Plays | Left-handed |
| World Ranking | No. 51 |
| Career High | No. 42 (29 June 2026) |
| Elo Ranking | No. 44 |
| Tour-Level Titles | 1 |
Ignacio Buse Targets Another Career Milestone
Ignacio Buse registered a tight straight-sets victory over Daniel Altmaier to move into the quarterfinals in Winston-Salem, 7-6, 7-5. He trailed by a break in both sets before fighting back to win in straight sets.
This is a remarkable result for the youngster, who had never won a main-draw match on tour on hard courts before this week but is now looking to reach his first semifinal on the surface.
He has previously played four quarterfinals at this level, all on clay, and won three of them. His best results include winning his maiden tour-level title in Hamburg and reaching the semifinals in Rio de Janeiro.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | Peru |
| Age | Born 25 March 2004 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| World Ranking | No. 36 |
| Career High | No. 31 (25 May 2026) |
| Elo Ranking | No. 73 |
| Tour-Level Titles | 1 |