Whiff Winner: Cerundolo Misses Smash, Steals Point
By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, May 10, 2026
Photo credit: TennisTV Screen Shot
Break point set the stage for a wild whiff and winning recovery from Francisco Cerundolo.
Facing break point at 5-all vs. home hero Lorenzo Musetti watch Cerundolo completely whiff on a routine-mid-court smash. That glaring miss, one that would make most hackers cringe in sympathy, set off a wild chain of events with Cerundolo snatching the point despite his mind-numbing miss.
See it happen here:
In Cerundolo’s defense, a swirling wind was tossing the ball around like confetti at times and a spitting shower was soon starting. So turbulence made the shot trickier for sure.
Still, it’s such a rarity for an elite pro to complete whiff on an overhead. Combine unruly conditions with the fact Cerundolo badly bungled a smash into net earlier in the game in a clear sign his smash confidence was MIA.
Even rarer, the whiff helped Cerundolo in that he didn’t frame it, mishit it or touch it in any way. That enabled him to scramble back, recover and restart the point.
Though Cerundolo saved the break point, two points later Musetti blasted a backhand return strike down the line breaking with a bang for a 6-5 lead. Musetti saved two set points to eventually take a tense tiebreaker.
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