Francisco Cerúndolo rallied from a set and a break down to defeat Tommy Paul 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3 in a marathon Queen's Club final lasting three hours and two minutes—the longest in the tournament's history. The Argentine secured the biggest title of his career on his sixth match point, dedicating the victory to his father, Alejandro, who flew to London for the first time to watch him play outside Argentina.
Record-breaking final
The gruelling match surpassed the previous record of two hours and 57 minutes set by Marin Cilic and Novak Djokovic in 2018. Cerúndolo, 27, saved two break points in the third set before sealing the win with an overhand smash. Paul, who had not dropped a set all week, started strongly but faltered as Cerúndolo's forehand produced 27 winners.
Inspiration from Maradona and father
Throughout the week, Cerúndolo had a No. 10 Argentina shirt of Diego Maradona in his players' box, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Hand of God goal. However, he credited his father's presence as key. “It is the first time my dad takes a flight and it’s the first time he has watched me outside Argentina,” Cerúndolo said. “It’s Father’s Day, so this is for him.”
Match turning points
Paul broke Cerúndolo to love at 5-4 in the first set, then won the tie-break. He took a 3-2 lead in the second set, but Cerúndolo broke twice in quick succession to level the match. With the temperature on court at 29.5°C, Cerúndolo broke for a 3-2 lead in the third set and held off two break points before serving for the match.
Cerúndolo's Wimbledon prospects
Cerúndolo's powerful forehand and newfound resilience make him a potential threat at Wimbledon, especially with Carlos Alcaraz injured, Novak Djokovic aged 39, and Alexander Zverev yet to win a grass-court title. Jannik Sinner remains the favourite, but Cerúndolo's form could challenge the odds.
Paul was gracious in defeat, telling Cerúndolo: “We always seem to have unreal matches and today you were the better player.”
