The euphoria around Brazilian tennis player João Fonseca made the world’s number two supporting, the German Alexander Zverev, who debuted on Rio Open on Tuesday (18), hours before the Brazilian entered the clay court of the carioca tournament.
In the last game of the night, Fonseca was eliminated in the debut after losing to Frenchman Alexandre Muller by 2 sets to 0, partial 6/1 and 7/6 (7/4).
Fonseca, 18, is the 68th in the ranking of ATP (Association of Professional Tennisas). Muller, ten years older (28), is 60 °.
The public occupied the main court two hours before the departure of Fonseca. They wanted to see Zverev in action. But the main subject of conversations, inside and outside the stands, was as far as Fonseca could arrive and who the Brazilian could already face it equally.
“I knew I would have to face this nervousness and I couldn’t play my game, I couldn’t be the cheerful way on the court. The defeat.
The euphoria for Fonseca has increased the demand for entrances to the tournament, the most important of tennis in South America. Although sold out since November, tickets were still found with money changers.
On Monday (17), the day Fonseca only trained, tickets were sold at the door of the Brazilian Jockey Club, South Zone of Rio, from R $ 700. This Tuesday, were found for $ 3,000, on average .
Some fans who bought tickets for this Tuesday could not watch the Brazilian tennis player. The ticket is divided by afternoon and evening sessions, and those who acquired the first should leave the court before the beginning of the last games.
Zverev faced Chinese Yuchaookete Bu, and it was the 69th of the ranking who received support from most fans, who murmured “Buuu”, like the ghosts of comics, every point of the luscious.
Concentrated, Fonseca entered shortly after 9:30 pm under applause. It almost took a tire – a term used in tennis when a first set ends in 6 games at 0 – and appeared disappointment with its beginning, giving long sighs in some flaws. The Brazilian was defeated in the first set by 6 games to 1.
He made mistakes with balls in the background, and was punished for short plays of the Frenchman. The rapid balls in parallel, one of the Brazilian’s strengths, came in little.
The young man sometimes showed irritation with the direction of the game.
With each mistake, it was accudted by shouts of “Go, John” and “Calm, John”. In interviews, the tennis player said he did not feel disturbed or insecure with the manifestations of the fans.
When he first passed the scoreboard for the duel, in the middle of the second set, he raised his arms and asked for demonstrations from the fans.
The audience gave the referee a little work, who had to ask for silence in a courteous “please, thank you”, with each shout out of time. There were more than 15 requests for silence.
“The differential from the first to the second set was nervousness. I was calming the nerves, managing to let go, move my legs more solid, but unfortunately it was too late,” said the tennis player.
The Brazilian Thiago Monteiro faces the Taiuanese Chun-Hsin Tseng in the second round, in a game that takes place on Wednesday night (19).
Two other Brazilians from the simple dispute, Felipe Meligeni was defeated in the first round by Russian Alexander Schevchenko (2 sets at 0), and Gustavo Heide by Argentine Francisco Comesana (2 sets at 1).
