17-year-old Fonseca continues breakthrough season in Bucharest

#NextGenATP Joao Fonseca earned his third tour-level win Tuesday at the Tiriac Open.

The 17-year-old wild card produced heavy hitting and flashy shotmaking en route to upsetting sixth seed Lorenzo Sonego 7-6(5), 7-5. Despite failing to serve out the first set at 5-4, Fonseca recovered and later gained an advantage by converting his sixth set point in the tie-break.

The Brazilian overcame a hard-fought second set by breaking Sonego’s serve at love to close the two-hour, four-minute match.

“I started really nervous, really struggling. But I was just trying to play my game,” said Fonseca, World No. 276 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “I knew my level and that I could win this match. I knew Lorenzo is a great fighter. I’m very happy with this win.”

Fonseca made a splash at the ATP 500 in his home city Rio in February, when he reached the last eight and became the second-youngest ATP 500 quarter-finalist since the series began in 2009.

Following his first tour-level win outside his home country Tuesday, Fonseca is sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah. The teen is trying to earn his maiden trip to the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, which runs from 18-22 December in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Up next for Fonseca will be a battle between youth and experience when he meets 34-year-old Radu Albot, who ousted American Aleksandar Kovacevic 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-1.

Seventh seed Nuno Borges rallied past former No. 3 Stan Wawrinka 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 after winning 82 per cent of his first-serve points and fending off six of seven break points faced. The Portuguese player will next meet Corentin Moutet, who advanced to the second round after defeating Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-2.

Miomir Kecmanovic closed Tuesday's action in Bucharest with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory against David Goffin.