João Fonseca will have a strong opponent in the third round of Wimbledon. The Brazilian will face Russian Roman Safiullin, currently number 132 in the ATP rankings, who is coming off two notable victories in the Grand Slam held in London.
At 28 years old, Safiullin started his campaign in qualifying and secured a place in the main draw after winning three matches. Since then, he has maintained his good momentum by eliminating compatriot Andrey Rublev, then a member of the world’s top 15, and then overcoming Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in a five-set battle.
Former top 40 and promise of Russian tennis
Born in Podolsk, Russia, Safiullin was one of the country’s main tennis prospects in the youth categories. In 2015, he won the Australian Open youth title, a result that placed him among the main names of the new generation.
The transition to the professional circuit, however, was marked by injuries, which slowed his rise in the rankings.
The best moment of his career came in 2023. That season, the Russian reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals, his best campaign in Grand Slam tournaments, and reached 39th position in the world rankings, the highest of his career.
Surprising campaign at Wimbledon
Without entering directly into the main draw, Safiullin had to compete in qualifying to play Wimbledon. Even so, it turned the campaign into one of the surprises of the edition.
In his debut, he eliminated Rublev in four sets. In the second round, he defeated Van de Zandschulp 6/0, 4/6, 6/3, 3/6 and 7/6 (7-5), after 3h50 of the match, guaranteeing a place to face João Fonseca.
Unprecedented confrontation
They have never faced each other on the professional circuit. The duel for the third round of Wimbledon is scheduled for Friday (3), at a time yet to be defined by the tournament organizers.
with partials of 6/1, 7/5 and 6/4. In the first set, he had to overcome a reaction from the Dutchman in the second half and confirmed the classification after controlling the balance in the third set.
Whoever wins will advance to the round of 16 of the London Grand Slam. For Fonseca, it will be the opportunity to reach this stage for the first time in his career. Safiullin is now trying to repeat his 2023 campaign, when he reached the quarter-finals of the tournament.
