João Fonseca received a kind of promotion in Roland Garros. This Thursday (29), the Brazilian number 65 in the world faces the tennis player of the Pierre-Huugues Herbert (147th of the ranking) in block 14, the fourth largest of the complex.
It will be the third game of the day on the court, which means you should not start before 2 pm local (9am from Brasilia).
It is possible, however, that not even the larger court is sufficient to hold public demand. In the debut of Fonseca, on Tuesday (26), block 7 was overcrowded by about 2,000 people, mostly Brazilians. Long lines and security were formed, had to remove fans from the area reserved for the press and other accredited.
“I know it will be difficult for the player, but also for the fans. I know I have to play my best tennis,” Fonseca told Sheet After the victory over the Polish Hubert Hurkacz (6/2, 6/4 and 6/2).
“At the same time, I also trust the Brazilian crowd. I know it will come by weight, it will make noise. It is enjoying, we are in the second round of a Grand Slam. Enjoy every moment. No pressure and just enjoy the moment of being on a block in Roland Garros,” added the Brazilian.
Veteran Herbert, 34, praised the Brazilian, with whom he lived last year in the “Challengers” tournaments, the third echelon of the circuit. “He is a rising young man, I saw that he won a lot this year, played extremely well in the Australian season [em janeiro]. He is a good player. “
Officially, in court 14 fits 2,158 people sitting, against 1,351 block 7. The three largest blocks of Roland Garros hold 15 thousand, 10,000 and 5,000 people respectively. In all, there are 16 competition blocks, totaling 38,400 places.
The decision of those who play where it is announced the day before by organizing the tournament. Factors such as the rest of the players and the interest of the French audience and television are taken into account.
Consulted by Sheet Regarding the criteria for attributing the courts, the organization of the tournament declined to manifest. The Brazilian Tennis Confederation said it has no interference with the decisions of the organizers.
At the time of the Fonseca game, three stars of the circuit should occupy the three main blocks: Italian Jannik Sinner, Serbian Novak Djokovic and German Alexander Zverev, respectively, sixth, and third in the world ranking. This helps to explain why the Brazilian confrontation with a local tennis player was scheduled for the fourth largest court.
In a match that promises to thrill the public on the center court, Sinner will face Frenchman Richard Gasquet, 38, a local idol who is saying goodbye to the circuit. He first played Roland Garros in 2002. His best result was the quarterfinals in 2016.
