MELBOURNE :Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca launched his Grand Slam career in spectacular fashion as the qualifier took down Russian ninth seed Andrey Rublev 7-6(1) 6-3 7-6(5) in the opening round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Fonseca became the last player to book a second-round spot but the wait was well worth it as the 18-year-old delivered a stunning display that lived up to the hype.
He looked completely at home on his Grand Slam main draw debut having waltzed through the qualifying draw without dropping a set and all those who stayed late on Margaret Court Arena will not forget him in a hurry.
One almost felt a little sorry for Rublev who became Fonseca’s first victim at a major. The Russian, well-known for chastising himself on court, often painfully, could do little to stem the flow of brilliance across the net.
The Brazilians in the crowd loved it and so did the neutrals as a new star of the men’s game illuminated the night. Fonseca is only the second teenager since 1973 to defeat an ATP top 10 player in their maiden Grand Slam main draw match.
“I mean, not bad, I just enjoyed every moment playing in an amazing court in a huge stadium for the first time,” Fonseca, who last year won the Next Gen ATP title, said on court.
Fonseca arrived on court on the back of a 13-match winning streak at all levels and brimming with confidence.
There was nothing between the players in the opening set with the only break point being saved by Fonseca at 3-4.
But the tiebreak was one-way traffic as Fonseca’s forehand left Rublev reeling.
There was a swagger about Fonseca in the second set as he used the energy of the crowd to surge further in front of a player who reached the quarter-finals last year.
Rublev, 27, was not about to be humiliated though and provided some stiff resistance in the third set, perhaps hoping to hang in and wait for any dip in Fonseca’s energy levels.
But the Brazilian answered every question in emphatic fashion, showing not the slightest hint of nerves despite playing on the biggest stage of his fledgling career.
Rublev smashed a racket in frustration in the third-set tiebreak but offered a warm embrace and a smile as he congratulated Fonseca at the net after a 51st winner from the Brazilian flashed past him on match point.
Fonseca, ranked 112 but surely heading much, much higher in a hurry, will face Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego next.
