João Fonseca beats Dino Prizmic at Roland Garros and will challenge Novak Djokovic in Paris

Brazilian João Fonseca reached a historic classification for the third round of Roland Garros this Wednesday afternoon. The tennis player beat the Croatian Dino Prizmic by 3 sets to 2, with partials of 3/6, 4/6, 6/4, 6/1 and 6/2, after a 3h30 battle on the clay of Paris. The result marked the first time that the athlete managed to reverse an adverse score of 2-0 in ATP level clashes.

The huge victory filled the court with emotion and placed the nineteen-year-old in front of the next big challenge in European competition. João Fonseca, currently number 30 in the world rankings, will face Serbian Novak Djokovic later in the tournament. The leader of the ranking secured his place in the third phase by dispatching the French Valentin Royer by 3 sets to 1.

Brazilian Torcida pushes João Fonseca on court 14

The atmosphere on court 14 of the Roland Garros complex was a determining factor in the South American athlete’s triumph. The packed stands had a strong presence of Brazilian fans carrying flags, wearing yellow shirts and chanting encouragement. The Croatian opponent also had a noisy group at his disposal, creating an Copa Davis atmosphere on the Parisian clay.

The energy coming from the public helped sustain the tennis player in moments of greatest physical exhaustion during the long game. Upon completing the last point, João Fonseca lay down on the clay, cried and was very grateful for the support Paris received. With the positive result obtained this Wednesday, the young man repeats the performance obtained last season at França. On that occasion, he also reached the third phase, being eliminated by the British Jack Draper.

Dino Prizmic dominates the opening two sets on Paris

The confrontation started evenly, with both athletes betting on powerful serves and quick returns from the back of the court. Equality persisted until the seventh game, when Dino Prizmic managed to lengthen the ball exchanges and broke the Brazilian’s serve to go up 5-3. In the next game, João Fonseca wasted an opportunity to return the ball by making a short play, allowing the European to close the game 6-3.

In the second period, the scenario remained similar with tennis players confirming their serves regularly. The Brasil tennis player looked for alternatives by going to the net more often, guaranteeing a momentary 2-1 advantage in the partial. Durante the dispute, the referee issued a warning to Dino Prizmic for talking to his coach while the opponent was preparing to serve. The decisive break came in the ninth game, when the Croatian took advantage of João Fonseca’s mistakes, made it 5-4 and closed soon after at 6-4.

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Reação from the Brazilian starts with a break in the third set

Precisando won to avoid early elimination in Roland Garros, João Fonseca started the third period showing aggression and confirming his first serve. The balance continued until the third game, when Dino Prizmic complained about a referee call, generating immediate boos from the fans in the stands. The São Paulo native took advantage of his rival’s instability to get his first break in the match and take a 3-1 lead.

The Brasil tennis player confirmed his serve after saving break points in a long game and took a 4-1 lead on the scoreboard. The strong rhythm in serves was maintained by both competitors in the final games of the partial on French clay. Demonstrando emotional control and using the encouragement from the stands, João Fonseca managed the lead and closed the set at 6/3. The triumph reduced the loss and changed the mental dynamics of the game for the rest of the afternoon.

Superioridade physics and technique ensure historic turnaround

The fourth set was completely dominated by América’s Sul tennis player, who took advantage of Dino Prizmic’s visible fatigue to impose his pace. With deep balls and accelerating left exchanges, the Brazilian distributed plays without giving his opponent a chance to react. The partial ended with a quick 6-1, leaving the match completely tied at Paris.

In the fifth and decisive set, João Fonseca’s recent experience in long games made the difference against his European opponent. The Brazilian managed two consecutive breaks of service, opened a big advantage and closed the score at 6-2 to secure his place. The final numbers of the confrontation demonstrated the balance and aggressiveness of the two athletes on court 14:

• Duração total match: 3 hours and 30 minutes
• Placar final by sets: 3 to 2 for Brasil
• Parciais of the clash: 3/6, 4/6, 6/4, 6/1 and 6/2
• Próximo adversary defined: Novak Djokovic (Sérvia)
• Current Posição of João Fonseca: 30th in the ATP rankings