Elmer Moller — Rio Open denies Cerundolo’s scheduling claim after retirement in second round

Elmer Moller The Rio Open has rejected a scheduling complaint from its No. 1 seed, Francisco Cerundolo, after Cerundolo retired in his second-round match while trailing Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-2 3-1.

Cerundolo retired trailing Tirante 6-2 3-1

Cerundolo, who had won the Argentina Open the previous weekend, played his opening match in Rio on Tuesday and his second-round match on Wednesday. He retired during the second set, citing a back injury after calling the physio early in that set. Tirante moved into the quarter-finals when the Argentine stopped, and later said: “It’s not good to win like this, especially with Fran, one of my friends. ”

Elmer Moller: tournament says Cerundolo never asked for extra day

The tournament issued a statement denying Cerundolo’s claim that he had requested an extra day off before his second-round match. “The Rio Open clarifies that there was no request from the mentioned athlete to the organisation of the tournament, ” the statement read, adding that decisions are made in line with ATP protocols and guidelines with “total transparency. ” Cerundolo had told reporters he had asked organisers for an extra day because of how much tennis he’d played recently and said, “I didn’t expect to have to play two matches back-to-back between yesterday and today. ”

Immediate consequences: Santiago for Cerundolo, Tabilo awaits Tirante

Cerundolo is due to compete in next week’s ATP 250 event in Santiago. Tirante will make just his second tour-level quarter-final appearance and is scheduled to face Chilean Alejandro Tabilo in the next round. Tirante noted he knew Cerundolo “was very tired from last week, ” and said he had to “improve myself on the court and focus on me. ”

The Rio Open statement emphasized balancing the needs of athletes, the public and national and international TV broadcasting while following “clear and unbiased rules. ” Cerundolo officially retired from the match citing a back injury; match officials recorded the score as 6-2 3-1 when play ended.

Next confirmed events: Cerundolo is entered in the ATP 250 in Santiago next week, and Tirante will play Alejandro Tabilo in the Rio Open quarter-final.