SAO LEOPOLDO/STARNBERG, November 18, 2022
Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca headlined Thursday’s second-round action on home soil in Sao Leopoldo by reaching the quarterfinals of the Challenger Dove Men & Care Sao Leo Open. The 16-year-old wild card entry saved two match points to outlast World No. 245 Mariano Navone of Argentina 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(9).
In his second appearance on the ATP Challenger Tour, Fonseca had defeated Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante in the first round and broke Navone’s serve four times to prevail after two hours and 23 minutes. Up next for the three-time winner on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors will be the clay-court event’s top seed Facundo Bagnis. The 103rd-ranked Argentine edged past Brazilian wild card Gustavo Heide 7-6(4), 6-3 in one hour and 49 minutes.
Remember the name… 🇧🇷 Joao Fonseca 🔥
The 16-year-old saves two match points to defeat Navone 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(9) and reach the quarterfinals in Sao Leopoldo!#ATPChallenger | @LegionSudam pic.twitter.com/3NANl4VQxD
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 17, 2022
In the bottom half of the draw, second seed Juan Pablo Varillas booked his spot in the stage of the last eight with a 7-6(2), 6-3 win over Gonzalo Lama from Chile. The World No. 119 of Peru sent down five aces and won 83 per cent of his first-service points to advance in two hours and three minutes. Varillas will next face home favourite Daniel Dutra da Silva, who rallied past Joao Domingues of Portugal 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 17 minutes.
Fourth favourite Felipe Meligeni Alves of Brazil, Jose Andres Burruchaga from Argentina as well as local heroes Joao Lucas Reis da Silva and Thiago Seyboth Wild round out the line-up for the quarterfinals.
Thursday Results
Second Round – Singles
[1] Facundo Bagnis (ARG) d [WC] Gustavo Heide (BRA) – 7/6(4) 6/3
[2] Juan Varillas (PER) d Gonzalo Lama (CHI) – 7/6(2) 6/3
[4] Felipe Meligeni Alves (BRA) d Nicolás Alvarez (PER) – 6/3 6/2
Román Burruchaga (ARG) d [6] Facundo Diaz Acosta (ARG) – 1/6, 6/3 6/0
[WC] João Fonseca (BRA) d Mariano Navone (ARG) – 6/3, 1/6 7/6(9)
[Alt] João Reis Da Silva (BRA) d [Q] Mateus Alves (BRA) – 7/6(7) 6/1
[Alt] Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) d Nick Hardt (DOM) – 6/1 6/2
Daniel Dutra da Silva (BRA) d João Domingues (POR) – 2/6, 6/4 6/4
Doubles – Quarterfinals
[1] Guido Andreozzi (ARG) / Guillermo Duran (ARG) d Nick Hardt (DOM) / Gabriel Roveri Sidney (BRA) – 4/6, 6/0 10-4
Mateus Alves (BRA) / Gustavo Heide (BRA) d [2] Boris Arias (BOL) / Federico Zeballos (BOL) – 6/2 6/3
Orlando Luz (BRA) / Marcelo Zormann (BRA) d [WC] Lorenzo Esquici (BRA) / João Fonseca (BRA) – 7/5 7/6(1)
Felipe Meligeni Alves (BRA) / João Reis Da Silva (BRA) d Wilson Leite (BRA) / Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) – 3/6, 6/2 10-2
