Get your popcorn ready if Jannik Sinner and Joao Fonseca plan to play this kind of high-intensity tennis in future matches.
Sinner won the first edition of what was probably one of the best matches in the sport, defeating the 19-year-old Brazilian in two tense sets: 7-6(6) and 7-6(4). Judging by the intensity of the exchanges and the course of the game, it is likely that the game will become three games – and it may be in Fonseca’s favour.
“Joao is an unbelievable player, unbelievable talent, very strong on both sides. He serves very well,” Sinner said on court after the win. “I felt it was key to be as aggressive as possible. My intensity dropped off a bit towards the end of the second set, but he played some incredible tennis there. The atmosphere was great, so I’m really happy with today’s match.”
The BNP Paribas Open has seen one of the rowdiest night-time conditions in recent years, and Sinner used his experience to stay out of trouble in the final stages of both sets.
While holding serve in the first set, he saved three consecutive set points and won five points in a row after falling behind 6-3 in the break, shocking the Brazilian fans.
The setback seemed to depress Fonseca for a while—but not for long, and not by much.
After falling behind on a break, he played one of the most exciting second games of the tournament, breaking Sinner 5-1 and quickly pushing the set into another tie-break.
It was Sinner who escaped again.
The Italian fell behind 2-3 to lead 7-4 in an instant, and the “Silent Assassin” determined the quarterfinals with American player Tian En in the first game.
“Man, did he look fun? Man, did he have a bright future? Man, did he scare Jannik Sinner tonight and get the crowd excited,” said Jim Courier of the matchup for Tennis Channel. “He’s great at tennis and we’re lucky to have him in our sport. These Brazilian fans, they travel, they’re fantastic.”
Despite the loss, it was still Fonseca’s best performance of the season and a sign he may be ready to bounce back after spending several months dealing with a back injury.
The two hours and one minute game left fans wanting more – hopefully we’ll have the next edition soon.
