Santiago
Hanfmann reaches the first ATP final in six years in Santiago
German must face Darderi for the title
March 1, 2026
Yannick Hanfmann will try to win his first title at tour level on Sunday.
By ATP staff
Yannick Hanfmann is in his first ATP Tour final in six years and is now one win away from his first title.
The German advanced to the championship match at the BCI Seguros Chile Open on Saturday when he upset top seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals. Before this week, Hanfmann had not reached a final since September 2020, when he lost to Miomir Kecmanovic in Kitzbühel.
“I think I played such a good game from the first point to the last,” Hanfmann said. ‘I have to [do that] against him. He’s a great player and I knew I had to bring my A-game today. I am really happy.”
Cerundolo claimed the Buenos Aires crown two weeks ago, not dropping a set en route to the semi-finals in Santiago. However, he could not cope with the German, who struck cleanly and dominated the clash behind his serve.
Hanfmann won 79 percent (27/34) of his first serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and benefited from Cerundolo’s 27 unforced errors. He also fended off both break points, including a crucial save at 5-4 in the second set while serving for the match.
“It’s normal to have some nerves about getting into a final,” said the German. But in the end, and even at the break point, I believed in my shots and in my ability to stay in the rally.”
The 34-year-old will attempt to win his first ATP Tour title when he faces second seed Luciano Darderi in Sunday’s title clash.
In the second semi-final of the day, Darderi produced an impressive performance to beat 2024 champion Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 29 minutes. The Italian has now claimed all three of the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings in 2026.
“Sebastian is a difficult opponent,” Darderi said. “We’ve played three times already this year. He’s a great player on clay. He’s won more than six or seven titles. So it’s always a tough match against him.”
Darderi, who reached the championship match in Buenos Aires, will compete in his second final of the season and sixth overall on Sunday. The Italian leads Hanfmann 1-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Their only meeting came in the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 event in Cordoba, where Darderi won in straight sets.
Watch extended highlights from Saturday’s semi-final in Santiago:
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