Four-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Brazilian prodigy Joao Fonseca 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4) in a thrilling match at Indian Wells Stadium on Tuesday.
The world number two sinner’s first meeting with the 19-year-old star lived up to expectations, with fireworks sparking a roaring response from the passionate Brazilian fans.
advertise
Sinner will face another rapidly rising young player, 20-year-old American player Learner Tien, for a spot in the semifinals.
Fonseca went head-to-head with the Italian in a tense first set but failed to convert her only break opportunity, and Sinner failed to capitalize on two break opportunities.
A couple of uncharacteristic errors from Sinner helped Fonseca lead 6-3 in the decider, but the Italian responded, denying a set point with an ace and sealing it with five straight points.
Sinner broke serve in the second game to easily win 4-2, but Fonseca was not going to go quietly.
advertise
He broke Sinner’s love in the ninth game and entered the second tiebreaker with a score of 5-5.
In the deciding set, Fonseca took a 4-3 lead with a serve, but Sinner scored four points in a row and ended the match with a superb forehand serve.
“I feel like being as aggressive as possible is key,” said Sinner, who is chasing his first title in the prestigious Masters 1000 event in the California desert.
“Joao is an unbelievable talent, very strong on both sides of the ball. His serve is very good.
“Maybe he dropped a bit at the end of the second set, but I’m happy to advance,” Sinner added.
advertise
Tian Junjie saved two match points and defeated Spanish player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), reaching the quarterfinals of the Masters 1000 meters for the first time.
“Honestly, after saving match point to get to the tiebreaker, I felt like I was pretty much playing with the money in the house and really had nothing to lose,” said Tian, a Southern California native who has fond memories of attending the tournament as a kid.
Arthur Fils’ return from injury gathered pace as the Frenchman defeated ninth-ranked Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 7-6 (11/9) to set up a quarter-final tie with fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev.
German player Zverev defeated American player Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4.
advertise
Fiers made it to the Indian Wells quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, but the road to getting there was a winding one.
-Strong competitors-
A back injury kept him out for eight months but since returning in Montpellier last month he impressed in the final in Doha.
The 21-year-old, currently ranked 32nd in the world, appeared to be in control as he led 4-2 in the second set. But he gave up that advantage, holding on from 0-5 down in the decider, saving five set points and winning in straight sets.
“I was 0-5 in the tie-break and I was walking to my box complaining and complaining,” he said, adding that the advice he received was to stop complaining and focus on the game.
advertise
“I tried to focus as much as I could. Not a lot of emotion, celebration. Just tunnel vision, and I’m happy with that,” said Fiers, who let the emotion come back and punched his chest hard after conceding a match point.
BB/Pacific Standard Time
