This Sunday (22), at 2pm (Brasília time), the tennis player will face the North American Learner Tien
Coming from an undefeated campaign in the Next Gen Finals Tournament, the Brazilian (145th in the ATP rankings) defeated Luca Van Assche (128th) in the semifinals, this Saturday (21), in Jeddah, by 3 sets to 0, with partials of 4/ 2, 4/2 and 4/1, and guaranteed a place in the tournament decider.
This Sunday, at 2pm (Brasília time), he will face the North American Learner Tien, whom he already defeated during the group stage, to become the seventh champion of the competition, created by the ATP in 2017 – it was not held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I’m proud of myself, I’ve never played so well. My training routine this week and the presence of my family help me stay focused. It’s incredible, it shows I’m on the right path and the final will be really good”, commented Fonseca after the match. The Brazilian was dominant in the match against Van Assche, with strong and precise serves, showing progress throughout the tournament and playing his best game so far.
The two tennis players used quick and effective serves and kept the contest even in the first two games. The Brazilian, however, began to dominate and had two break chances on the Frenchman’s second serve, who reacted with three aces to make it 2-1. In the following games, however, the Rio tennis player played aggressively and put pressure on his opponent on the return, breaking Van Assche’s serve and confirming his two to close the set at 4-2.
In the second half, the 18-year-old Brazilian continued to set a good pace, but Van Assche balanced his actions with a powerful serve, making the duel tense. In the fifth game, however, when the Frenchman seemed to improve in the match, João Fonseca managed to break. With discomfort in his right thigh, the Frenchman asked for medical attention and, upon his return, the Rio native didn’t give him a chance, closing the set, 4-2, calmly.
Consistent on the court, João Fonseca exuded confidence and, in the first game, broke Van Assche’s serve. He had the chance to go 3-0 up, but wasted three break points and the Frenchman was able to breathe in the contest. Afterwards, however, the Brazilian dominated the games and finished 4-1.
Before this Saturday’s clash, João Fonseca had defeated Frenchman Arthur Fils, Learner Tien and Czech Jakub Mensik, advancing to the semi-finals as first placed in the Blue Group. In the other semifinal clash, Learner Tien defeated compatriot Alex Michelsen in a tie-break, with partials of 2/4, 4/2, 1/4, 4/0 and 4/1, to reach the tournament decision. Michelsen forced serves to dominate Tien physically, but the 19-year-old responded, overcoming his friend and rival with aggressive shots on the court. From the fourth set onwards, Tien’s dominance was complete, winning seven games in a row and closing the match in 1h36.
“I’m very happy with the victory, but I hate that it was against him. That’s how it happens. I started to smile when I got here and saw him on the other side of the net, but I’m very happy to pass and I think I played very well,” said Tien after the match. “There are no easy matches. Having another chance (in the final) against João after losing earlier this week would be really cool.”
Different rules
Next Gen, one of the newest tournaments on the calendar, has different rules for each edition. The matches are decided in the best of five short sets, with each partial being won by the tennis player who wins four games first.
There is no switching of sides after the first game. They will switch positions and be allowed to rest for 90 seconds after the first three games and also at the end of the set. During the tie-break, the side changes every six points. The break at the end of the set will be 90 seconds.
Another change is in the withdrawal clock. The time between points has been reduced from 25 to just 15 seconds if the point has less than three hits. The interval between the first and second serves will be eight seconds and a clock counts the elapsed time.
Published by Luisa Cardoso
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
