After 15 years, Brazil is back in the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 men’s tennis tournament.
João Fonseca, 40th in the ATP rankings (Association of Professional Tennis Players), beat the Italian Matteo Berrettini, 90th in the world, in the first game this Thursday (9) on clay at the Court des Princes court valid for the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters, in Monaco.
The 19-year-old Brazilian overcame his opponent ten years older by two sets to zero, with partials of 6/3 and 6/2, in 1h13 of the match.
The last time Brazil reached the stage in a Masters 1000 was in 2011, with Thomaz Bellucci in Madrid.
Through the campaign so far in Monte Carlo, João appears momentarily at 35th in the ATP rankings.
The Rio tennis player now awaits the winner of the duel between German Alexander Zverev, number 3 in the world, and Belgian Zizou Bergs (47th) to find out his opponent in the next phase.
Brazil won the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 title twice, with Gustavo Kuerten, in 1999 and 2001.
The tournament’s biggest winner is Spaniard Rafael Nadal, with 11 cups, 8 of which were won consecutively, between 2005 and 2012.
The current title holder is fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, leader of the rankings, who defeated Argentine two-time Rio Open champion Sebastián Báez the day before, with splits of 6/1 and 6/3.
