Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Brazilian teen Joao Fonseca made a sparkling Roland Garros debut when he ousted the in-form Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-4, 6-2, becoming the second-youngest match winner at the clay-court major in the past 20 years. The 18-year-old is the second-youngest match winner at the clay-court major in the past 10 years, only behind an 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in 2021, according to ATP stats.
Still several months shy of his 19th birthday, Fonseca displayed zero nerves against Hurkacz and played emphatic tennis from the start, breaking serve twice in the first set and then again to start the second, with a beautiful cross court volley that brought the faithful out of their seats.
“I played really well, focusing a lot on the returns and serves. I knew a lot of great serves were going to come and I was just focusing on putting the first return [in], the plus one, the return plus-one, put it in the middle and try to be as aggressive as I can. Try to focus on opportunities, go to the net, and try to be aggressive when I can,” said Fonseca.
Fonseca now boasts an 11-7 tour-level season record, according to the ATP Win/Loss Index. At the Australian Open, he earned a memorable first main-draw win at a major by stunning ninth seed Andrey Rublev. Fonseca won his maiden tour-level title the following month in Buenos Aires, according to ATP. The Brazilian will next face French veteran Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 16 years his senior.
Earlier, Jack Draper’s clay-court evolution continued when he overcame a tricky start to notch his maiden match win at Roland Garros. The fifth seed overcame Mattia Bellucci 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in heavy conditions under the Court Suzanne-Lenglen roof, which was closed due to steady rain in the French capital.
Draper is looking to add a first Grand Slam title to his maiden Masters 1000 crown, which he won in March in Indian Wells.
