In the land of his idol Roger Federer, and with the Swiss’s parents in the audience, Brazilian João Fonseca won his first semifinal at the ATP 500 level at the Basel tournament, a step above the Buenos Aires tournament (250) that he won in February.
In a very balanced match, the 19-year-old tennis player and number 46 in the world defeated the Spaniard Jaume Munar, 28, 42nd in the ranking, by 2 sets to 0. Now, he awaits the result of the clash between Ugo Humbert (24) and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (18), which will be played this Saturday (25).
João started playing well, trying to control the points and anticipating the opponent’s movements. In the first 12 games, neither of them had a chance to break, with the Brazilian having a small advantage in points won on first serve and reading the Spaniard’s second serve particularly well. He ended up taking the first partial by 7/6 (4), in 1h01min.
Munar took the lead in the second set, taking a 3-1 lead after breaking the Brazilian’s serve for the first time. João returned the break to balance the score at 4-4 and again to close the match at 7/5 in the second set.
João was looking to be the first Brazilian in a final above ATP 250 since Gustavo Kuerten lost in Indian Wells to Lleyton Hewitt, in 2003. The São Paulo native is also the fourth youngest finalist in the tournament’s history, at 19 years and 2 months.
Both reached the semi-finals after withdrawals from Canadian rivals. João advanced after Denis Shapovalov, number 23 in the world, felt discomfort in his right knee when the Brazilian was winning 3/6, 6/3, 4/1. The Spaniard was leading 4/1 in the clash against Felix Auger-Aliassime, champion of the tournament in 2022 and 2023, when he ended the match.
Munar was also trying for his first ATP 500 final — he had already been a finalist in Marbella (ATP 250), in 2021. In doubles, his best result was runner-up at the Rio Open, last February, alongside Pedro Martinez — he lost to Brazilians Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo.
João’s last tournament was the ATP 250 in Brussels, Belgium, where he lost in the first round to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Federer won the Basel tournament ten times (2006-08, 10-11, 14-15, 17-19) and reached three other finals.
