Joao Fonseca meets Andre Agassi at Phoenix Challenger

World no. 80 Joao Fonseca is thru to the Arizona Tennis Basic semi-final. The younger Brazilian confronted Hugo Gaston within the Phoenix Challenger quarter-final and scored a 6-4, 6-4 victory in 70 minutes. Fonseca and Gaston met the legend forward of their duel!

The eight-time Main champion Andre Agassi, who retired a few weeks after the Brazilian was born, was there through the coin toss. Joao claimed 15 factors greater than Hugo and outplayed him on serve and return.

A young person defended two of three break factors, shedding serve as soon as within the opener after constructing the benefit. He turned 44% of the return factors into three breaks from 4 possibilities.

— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) March 15, 2025

The opening set was quick and fluid, with no deuces in ten video games and 31 minutes required to finish them. Joao held with a smash winner within the second sport and made a push on the return within the subsequent one. The younger gun landed a forehand winner and created two break possibilities.

He attacked on the primary and drew the rival’s forehand mistake to safe a break and forge a 2-1 benefit. Fonseca cemented the break with a service winner within the fourth sport and stepped in on the return within the subsequent one.

Joao Fonseca & Hugo Gaston, Phoenix Challenger 2025© Stream screenshot

The Brazilian attacked and secured a a break at love with a compelled error, extending the result in 4-1. Gaston pulled one break again in sport six following the rival’s drop shot error. Hugo held at 15 in sport seven and diminished the hole to 4-3.

Joao secured the eighth sport with a service winner and served for the opener at 5-4. He landed a smash winner for 2 set factors and fired a strong serve on the primary, clinching the opener 6-4 in 31 minutes. A young person held at love within the second sport of the second set.

A left-hander missed a forehand within the third sport, struggling a break at 15 and falling a set and a break behind. Fonseca missed a forehand within the fourth sport and provided his rival a break probability. He saved it with a forehand down the road winner and hit a service winner for 3-1.

The younger gun landed an ace within the sixth sport and moved 4-2 in entrance. He held at 30 within the eighth sport and prolonged the hole to 5-3. Joao served for the win at 5-4 and missed a forehand on a match level. He created the second with a advantageous assault.

The 18-year-old drew the rival’s mistake to seal the deal and organize the semi-final conflict towards Kei Nishikori.