Tommy Paul analyzes Joao Fonseca’s game after toppling him in Madrid after saving 2 set points
Joao Fonseca would have become the second-youngest player to reach the third round of the Madrid Open had he defeated Tommy Paul.
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Joao Fonseca, Tommy Paul (Image via X/#MMOpen/The Tennis Letter)
It wasn’t smooth sailing for Tommy Paul in his opening match at the Madrid Open, for he faced one of the rising stars in tennis- Joao Fonseca. The second-round match, held on Saturday (April 26) saw the American secure a berth in the third round but not before saving a pair of set points.
Momentum shifted throughout the match on Manolo Santana Stadium and it lasted for two hours and five minutes. After knocking the Brazilian out with a 7-6(7), 7-6(3) scoreline, Paul, who hit nine aces to Fonseca’s two, analyzed the youngster’s game and explained how he managed to beat him.
I thought the level was awesome from the jump. He really had me on my toes. He was in every single one of my service games in the first set and he was pushing the pressure in the match very well. I was happy to get through those service games. My serve bailed me out quite a bit in the first set.
Tommy Paul said during his on-court interview
Paul has now taken a 1-0 head-to-head lead over Fonseca. Prior to the clash with Paul, Fonseca breezed past Elmer Moller in the first round. He entered the tournament after his defeat to Alex de Minaur in the Miami Open.
Paul, who is playing his second clay-court tournament of the season and his first on the European clay swing since last year’s Paris Olympics, is set to lock horns with Karen Khachanov against whom, he is 1-0 in the head-to-head record after his three-set victory in the second round of the 2022 Miami Open. The Russian, like Paul, toiled hard in his opening round match he won against Reilly Opelka with a 7-6(3), 7-6(4) scoreline.
Paul has reached the top 10 in the live rankings and is 12-0 in the opening round this season. He is bidding to progress to the fourth round of the Madrid Open for the first time in his career.
Joao Fonseca dreams of becoming a World No.1 player
Joao Fonseca is No.63 in the live rankings and achieved his best ranking when he climbed to the No.59 spot last month. Fonseca has time and again stated that he aims to be a top player. Before his Madrid Open campaign, Fonseca reiterated the same and said one of his goals is also to progress to the third round of a Grand Slam tournament.
My goal for the future is to be No.1, that’s the dream, but I know it’s a long way to go. I have to work even harder, go step by step. I need to get more experiences, like this. Roland Gaross will be my first direct entry into a Grand Slam.
Joao Fonseca told Roland Garros
The young gun also wants to set up a clash with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic at the French Open as instead of playing easier opponents, he rather wants to play the icons of the sport like Djokovic before his retirement. Fonseca, who last year won the Next Gen ATP Finals and lifted his first ATP title at the Argentina Open this year, is 10-6 on the season.
Apart from the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires, the 18-year-old also won two Challengers (in Canberra and Phoenix) this year. Had he defeated Tommy Paul, Fonseca would have become the second-youngest man to progress to the third round in the history of the Madrid Open.
Jakub Mensik, at the age of 18 years and seven months, became the youngest man to advance to the third round in the Spanish capital last year. The 19-year-old is into the third round this year as well and is scheduled to lock horns with Ben Shelton on Sunday (April 27).
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