World no. 80 Joao Fonseca is thru to the Arizona Tennis Traditional 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 in the course of the coin toss. Joao claimed 15 factors greater than Hugo and outplayed him on serve and return.
An adolescent defended two of three break factors, dropping serve as soon as within the opener after constructing the benefit. He turned 44% of the return factors into three breaks from 4 possibilities.
Andre Agassi x Joao Fonseca final night time in Phoenix 🌟🌟
Enjoyable truth: Joao was born in the course of the 2006 US Open… which is the place Andre Agassi retired!
📸 @aztennisclassic pic.twitter.com/QZrKg7oMTX
— 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 recreation 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 recreation and stepped in on the return within the subsequent one.
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 recreation six following the rival’s drop shot error. Hugo held at 15 in recreation seven and lowered the hole to 4-3.
Joao secured the eighth recreation 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. An adolescent held at love within the second recreation of the second set.
A left-hander missed a forehand within the third recreation, struggling a break at 15 and falling a set and a break behind. Fonseca missed a forehand within the fourth recreation and supplied his rival a break likelihood. 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 recreation and moved 4-2 in entrance. He held at 30 within the eighth recreation 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 nice assault.
The 18-year-old drew the rival’s mistake to seal the deal and organize the semi-final conflict towards Kei Nishikori.
