A 12 months after claiming his first ATP win, the 18-year-old Joao Fonseca is an ATP champion! The younger Brazilian lifted a trophy on the ATP 250 occasion in Buenos Aires following a 6-4, 7-6 conquer the native hero, Francisco Cerundolo.
An adolescent sealed the deal in an hour and 45 minutes. He held his nerves within the closing levels of the second set and moved excessive within the tie break. Fonseca served for the title two occasions within the second set. He squandered his probabilities and saved his rival alive.
The younger gun stayed targeted within the tie break, firing a forehand down the road winner on a match level and celebrating his first out of many ATP titles. At 18 years, 5 months and 26 days, Joao turned the seventh-youngest champion on the ATP Tour since 1990.
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 16, 2025
They traded breaks originally of the duel and served effectively within the subsequent 4 video games to lock the consequence at 3-3. The house favourite skilled an enormous setback within the seventh recreation. Cerundolo wasted two recreation factors and dropped serve after an enormous forehand drive-volley error.
Joao Fonseca, Buenos Aires 2025© Stream screenshot
The younger gun held after deuces in recreation eight to cement the benefit. Joao served for the opener at 5-4 and fired an ace on a set level after a deuce. He wrapped up the primary a part of the duel in 44 minutes and gained an enormous enhance.
Cerundolo denied a break level originally of the second set earlier than enjoying a unfastened service recreation at 2-2. The Argentine sprayed a forehand error, dropping serve and falling a set and a break down. Joao saved a break level within the subsequent one and constructed a 4-2 benefit.
Joao Fonseca, Buenos Aires 2025© Stream screenshot
They served effectively within the subsequent three video games, and an adolescent wanted one other fantastic maintain at 5-4. He felt the stress and missed a backhand to drop serve and produce his rival again to the optimistic facet. Fonseca delivered one other break in recreation 11 and served for the title for the second time.
Nonetheless, Francisco pulled one other break again and saved his probabilities alive. Joao made a recent begin within the tie break and welcomed the rival’s mistake within the first level. The 18-year-old landed a backhand down the road winner and cracked a forehand crosscourt winner to open a 3-0 hole.
Francisco Cerundolo & Joao Fonseca, Buenos Aires 2025© Stream screenshot
The Argentine missed a forehand within the fourth level and fell 4-0 behind. Joao drew Francisco’s mistake within the sixth level and moved 5-1 up. An adolescent attacked and landed a volley winner on the internet for 6-1 and 5 match factors.
Fonseca cracked a forehand down the road winner on the primary, falling to the bottom and celebrating his first ATP title at 18 years and 5 months.
