Francisco Cerúndolo reached the Queen’s Club semifinals on Friday, but his 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-4 defeat of British wildcard Arthur Fery was punctuated by a frightening incident. The Argentine, ranked 27, took a full-force backhand pass to the throat at the net, collapsed, and required medical attention before resuming play. He became the first Argentine in the last four here since David Nalbandian in 2012.

The two-hour-37-minute contest turned after that blow. Cerúndolo had edged a first-set tiebreak, but Fery, a 23-year-old world No. 140 in his maiden ATP quarter-final, harnessed the home crowd to claim the second set 6-3. Cerúndolo then trailed 0-2 in the decider before methodically recovering, breaking in the tenth game to seal victory. Fery later cited the Argentine’s experience in pressure moments as the difference.

From Buenos Aires, the result carries historical resonance. Cerúndolo, the 2023 Eastbourne champion, joins Guillermo Vilas, Juan Martín del Potro and Javier Frana as one of only four Argentines with multiple tour-level grass semifinals. His run, which included wins over Aleksandar Kovacevic and Jenson Brooksby, coincides with the addition of Chilean coach Nicolás Massú to his team. He also wore a Diego Maradona No. 10 shirt during changeovers, a detail widely reported in Argentine media.

Across the net on Saturday will be Brandon Nakashima, the American world No. 32 who earlier dismantled top seed Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-3. The Australian, denied a debut in the top five, had no answer for Nakashima’s flat striking and heavy serving on the grass. British singles hopes ended with Fery, though local doubles pairs remain in contention.

The semifinal offers Cerúndolo a shot at a second grass final and a confidence surge before Wimbledon, which starts on 29 June. The other semi pairs Ugo Humbert with Tommy Paul. After a disappointing Roland Garros, the Argentine’s resilience and growing grass-court fluency have repositioned him as a credible threat on the surface.