Joao Fonseca came back from one set down to beat Denis Shapovalov 5-7 6-4 6-3 at the Paris Rolex Masters at the Defense Arena just two days after winning his first ATP 500 title in Basel last Sunday and his second overall trophy after his triumph in Buenos Aires. Fonseca and Shapovalov met for the second time in one week. Last Friday Shapovalov retired due to a knee issue when he was trailing 1-4 in the third set.
Fonseca has improved to 2-0 in his head-to-head matches against Shapovalov.
Fonseca became the third youngest player to win an ATP 500 title in series history. He is the first Brazilian player to win a Masters 1000 match.
Shapovalov hit more winners (35 to 23) but made more unforced errors than Fonseca (39 to 27).
Both players held on serve in the first 11 games. Fonseca fought through a deuce to hold serve at 4-5. Shapovalov earned a se point at 6-5 on return, when Fonseca netted a backhand at 30-30. Shapovalov broke serve in the 12th game, when Fonseca sprayed a backhand off a deep return from the Canadian player.
Shapovalov faced the first break point in the opening game of the second set, when he netted a forehand, Fonseca broke serve when Shapovalov made a double fault.
Fonseca held serve in the fourth game after three deuces. The Brazilian went up 0-40 in the seventh game and broke serve when Shapovalov netted a forehand. Shapovalov pulled one of the breaks back Fonseca served out the second set at love in the 10thgame.
Shapovalov double faulted to trail 0-40 in the first game of the third set. Fonseca earned the early break with a backhand passing shot.
Shapovalov held five break-back points in the second game, but he was not able to convert any of them, as Fonseca held serve to open up a 2-0 lead.
Fonseca dropped only one point on his serve and earned a second break in the ninth game to close the third set 6-3.
“In tennis you have to change the mindset week after week. I won two days ago and now I am here playing Paris. I am very happy to change the mindset and be ready for this match. I lost the first set and after I changed a few things and I am very happy with the way I was mentally in this match. I wasn’t playing my best in the beginning, I felt my hip a bit, but it is all good, nothing we can’t adjust for the next round and we keep going”, said Fonseca.
Danil Medvedev moved past Jaume Munar 6-1 6-3 to stop a three-match losing streak at the Paris Rolex Masters. Medvedev showed his good form recently winning in Almaty and reaching the semifinal at the Shanghai Masters 1000.
Ben Shelton beat Flavio Cobolli 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 in 1 hou and 32 minutes. Shelton saved the first break point in the eighth game to hold serve at deuce for 4-4. Shelton earned a break point in the 11th game with a forehand down the line but Cobolli saved i with an ace. Shelton earned his only mini-break to win the tie-break 7-4.
Cobolli rallied from 0-40 down to 40-40 in the third game of the decisive set, but Shelton held serve at deuce. Shelton broke serve in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead, when Cobolli hit a forehand long. Shelton served out the win on his first match point setting up a Round of 16 clash against Andrey Rublev, who beat Learner Tien 6-4 6-4.
Taylor Fritz beat Alexandar Vukic 7-6 (7-4) 6-2. Vukic saved two break points in the fourth game of the opening set to hold serve. Fritz fended off two break points in the seventh game. Fritz earned two mini-breaks to race out to a 4-0 lead. Vukic pulled back both mini-breaks back for 4-5. Fritz won his final two points to clinch the tie-break 7-4. Fritz broke twice in the fifth and seventh games and sealed the win on his first match point. Fritz will face either Corentin Moutet or Alexander Bublik.
