Joao Fonseca Relishing the Laver Cup Experience After Raising Team World’s Morale With Key Victory on Day 1

Joao Fonseca became the youngest player to win a match at the Laver Cup at just 19 years old.

Joao Fonseca Relishing the Laver Cup Experience After Raising Team World’s Morale With Key Victory on Day 1

Joao Fonseca (via US Open)

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Team World’s Joao Fonseca wrote history at the Laver Cup by becoming the youngest player to win a point after overcoming Flavio Cobolli in match three of the opening day in San Francisco. Jakub Mensik, who is 20 years old, thought he had made the record after beating Alex Michelsen in the second match, but Fonseca, who’s a year younger, stepped up to break the record.

Team Europe took the lead after Casper Ruud played a brilliant game against Team World’s Reilly Opelka. After that, Mensik stretched the lead to 2-0 after beating Michelsen 6-1, 7-6(3), 10-8. But Fonseca was there to help boost Team World’s morale going into the second day of the thrilling tournament.

Fonseca began the match with more rhythm and aggressiveness than his opponent on the court. He led Cobolli 4-2 in the first set and looked to have sealed the set but the Italian star fought back breaking the teenager. But Fonseca broke back and then claimed the game to win the set after Cobolli made an error.

Cobolli, who was the more experienced player on the court, struggled with his first and second serve. He lost his serve four times against nine breakpoint opportunities during the clash. That led Fonseca to dominate the match, beating the former top 20 star 6-4, 6-3 and taking the score to 1-2 against Team Europe.

After the match, the Brazilian star was very happy with his performance and the tournament. Being a debutant, he revealed to Tennis Channel that he was a bit nervous at the beginning of the match against Cobolli but then his teammates helped boost his confidence, which helped him seal the victory at the Laver Cup:

I think I played good tennis from the beginning. I was hitting the ball well and putting a lot of pressure. Of course, I was a little bit more nervous in the beginning and made some easy mistakes, which is normal. He’s a more experienced guy, already in the top 20, and he knows how to play in those circumstances. I kept it going. My teammates helped me a lot to stay positive early on and keep holding serve.

After Fonseca’s loss, Carlos Alcaraz and Mensik took to the court against Team World’s Taylor Fritz and Michelsen. Both players gave their best performance on the night as they made sure they were not broken. The duo overcame Fritz and Michelsen 7-6(7), 6-4 to end the Day 1 score 3-1 in favor of Team Europe.

Team World’s Vice-Captain praises Joao Fonseca after picking his first win at the Laver Cup

Joao Fonseca’s display against Flavio Cobolli at the Laver Cup was not a surprise to the tennis world as the Brazilian has shown that on several occasions this season. He did that first at the Australian Open against a top 10 star Andrey Rublev, beating the Russian star in straight sets. At the Argentine Open, he did it again, winning the tournament after beating Francisco Cerundolo in the final.

Joao Fonseca 4
Joao Fonseca (via Davis Cup)

After Fonseca’s win at the Laver Cup, Team World’s Vice-Captain Pat Rafter praised the 19-year-old star for his performance. He revealed during the aforementioned interview that Fonseca has a good tennis brain and he’s surely going to be a great player next season. The former US Open champion added that he has also matured on the court:

A very good tennis brain. He’s calm. He’s open to suggestions. He’s open to learning. He’s quick to respond. He’s quick to learn. I see that side of him as such a mature part of the game that you can see what he’ll need to take forward. So in a year’s time, he’ll be a great player.

The second day of the Laver Cup will be more centered on singles matches as Alexander Zverev takes on Team World’s Alex de Minaur. The second contest will see Holger Rune face Argentine star Francisco Cerundolo, while Carlos Alcaraz will take on American star Taylor Fritz in a blockbuster clash.

Also Read: Nick Kyrgios, Who Lost to Novak Djokovic in Wimbledon Final, Claims He Would’ve Won Had He Faced Rafael Nadal