MADRID/STARNBERG, April 11, 2024
Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca advanced to the quarterfinals of the III Open Comunidad de Madrid. The 17-year-old fought past No. 7 seed Harold Mayot 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on Thursday.
Fonseca, who is competing in his first ATP Challenger Tour event on European soil, sent down seven aces and won 71 of his second-service points to secure victory in one hour and 39 minutes.
Into the last 🎱
17-year-old Joao Fonseca is through to the quarterfinals in Madrid with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Mayot#ATPChallenger | @fedetenismadrid pic.twitter.com/TFIuZlOGE4
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) April 11, 2024
“Very tough match. Mayot is in the best moment of his career. He recently won a Challenger and I knew I had to play very well to win. In the second set, he played better and I lost focus a bit, but in the third, thanks to my game and the support of the crowd, I was able to win the match,” Fonseca said.
“Some friends from Brazil came to support me, and the Spanish crowd also cheers me on. I try to be an example for the young players, just like I followed my idols five or six years ago and asked them for a photo.”
The champion of the 2023 US Open Boys’ singles title will next take on Leandro Riedi of Switzerland, who beat Vitaliy Sachko of Ukraine 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and eight minutes. “He is also a very young, tough player who is playing at a high level, and I’m sure it will be a beautiful match to enjoy,” Fonseca said of his upcoming opponent.
Ramos-Vinolas to meet Kukushkin
No. 2 seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain and Kazakh veteran Mikhail Kukushkin round out the final eight at the ATP Challenger Tour 100 clay-court event in the Spanish capital. Ramos-Vinolas defeated his compatriot Oriol Roca Batalla 7-6(2), 6-4. The 105th-ranked wild card entry from Barcelona won 54 per cent of the total points played to succeed in one hour and 55 minutes.
Kukushkin rallied from a set down to overcome Rudolf Molleker of Germany, winning 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-1 in two hours and 11 minutes.
🎾 Orden de juego del viernes 12 de abril.
🇪🇦 Albert Ramos busca las semifinales ante 🇰🇿 Kukushkin.
🇨🇭 Riedi – 🇧🇷 Fonseca, duelo de jóvenes por una plaza en SF.
👬 Semifinales del torneo de dobles. pic.twitter.com/U3G3j2KLKs— Federación de Tenis de Madrid (@fedetenismadrid) April 11, 2024
