Comesaña, a shark guided by the Christ the Redeemer in Rio

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Francisco Comesaña is the player whose first and last name are being written in big letters in the ATP Rio Open. The 24-year-old Argentine fulfilled his dream last night by reaching his first ATP semifinal thanks to the most significant victory of his career. Comesaña caused a major upset by defeating the favorite and number 2 player in the world, Alexander Zverev. This valuable win has made headlines worldwide as not much was expected from the world number 86.

He not only left those who didn't believe in him speechless, but he also turned around a match he was losing 4-1 in the third set. After winning a crucial point against Zverev, the German failed to win another game. Comesaña mentioned that key point that fell on his side after successfully blocking his opponent's shot. He anticipated the direction in which Sascha would hit, but he believes there was more than just intuition involved: "I think Christ the Redeemer told me: 'go right,' and I went right. I was lucky," Fran commented.

OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. 🌍

Comesana with a magical moment at the #RioOpen! pic.twitter.com/iWGEERxwbt

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 22, 2025

The Argentine put on a great display with sliced backhands and drop shots, allowing him to come back and secure his first victory against a top 5 player. "Throughout the match, I kept telling myself: 'how wonderful it is to be alive.' So, I enjoyed the entire encounter," Fran said after the feat. The key to Mar del Plata's shark's success lies in enjoying the game: "I think this happens due to all the hard work I've been putting in to be here. I have to be grateful for this moment, and I am enjoying it."

Thus, the success of the Marplatense is even greater when we look at his statistics. He already has two wins out of two against top 10 players. The first came last year against Andrey Rublev (#6 in the world at the time) at Wimbledon, which was also his first victory in a Grand Slam main draw. Not only that, but he has only secured a total of seven ATP victories in 13 matches: 2 at Wimbledon, 2 at the US Open, and 3 at this Rio Open. "The match against Zverev Icompared to what I experienced with Rublev, both in very challenging scenarios. I don't think I ever played in such a packed stadium like today. I'm someone who has worked hard to get to where I am. I appreciate the things that happen to me," he said in the press conference.

-before the match

He will now face Alexandre Müller for a spot in the grand final, a rival far below Zverev in the rankings. This won't make Comesaña relax, but it's essential to let him savor a moment like this, as beating the world number 2 doesn't happen every day. "I love tennis. I had many difficult moments, dreamed of playing Grand Slams, playing on big courts like today, but I'm grateful for what I'm going to leave behind. Every day is a gift. I woke up wanting to enjoy the match; you never know when you'll have another chance to face Zverev and a world number 2," he expressed.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Comesaña, un tiburón guiado por el Cristo Redentor en Rio