Italian second seed Jannik Sinner continued his imperious form by dismissing Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-2 in just 70 minutes. He will meet 19-year-old sensation Joao Fonseca in the most anticipated fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. The Brazilian teenager produced a statement victory of his own by upsetting 23rd seed Tommy Paul 6-2, 6-3.
The Brazilian world No 35 overcame a medical timeout for a groin issue to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 fourth round. The two in-form stars will now face off in a clash that represents a fascinating bridge between the current elite and the next generation.
Rising star Fonseca embraces “top guy” challenge
“First time fourth round. It’s pretty nice,” Fonseca noted while reflecting on his milestone achievement in the California desert after the last match of the day. He explained that his team has been working specifically to achieve deep runs at the Masters level because of the tournament’s prestige. “To play against those guys like Khachanov, like Tommy Paul, and now Sinner, it’s just really pleasure. That’s what we work for, to play against the top guys.”
Fonseca showed massive superiority behind his second serve to keep the American veteran at bay throughout their 72-minute encounter. While Paul managed to lead 2-0 at the start of the second set, Fonseca responded by breaking twice to reclaim control.
The Brazilian struck 20 winners to just 12 unforced errors, winning 68% of his second-serve points compared to Paul’s 32%. “I’m just very happy the way that I played today and to have the opportunity to play with the, I mean, ex-top 1 and then now actual top 2,” he added. “To see how my level is to where my game is and what I can achieve.”
Sinner maintains clinical rhythm
Fonseca is well aware of the mountain he has to climb when he steps on court against the second seed. “The players watch a lot Carlos and Jannik playing a lot of finals and a lot of epic matches,” the teenager observed. “Both are in another level. Right now they’re playing such an amazing tennis and achieving, I mean, they’re almost winning every tournament.” Despite the gap in experience, Fonseca is eager to test his game against the world’s best on Tuesday.
“I’m gonna enjoy playing out there. I’m gonna, I mean, try of course to win,” Fonseca stated regarding his mindset for the fourth round. He views the matchup as a vital learning opportunity to understand what separates the top two players from the rest of the tour.
“Try to enjoy as much as possible to see where my game is, what is the thing that he does that anyone can beat those guys. So, yeah, I’m just trying to work on my game on Tuesday, to see the plan, and then on Tuesday be ready for the match. »
Despite his losses to Djokovic in Melbourne and Mensik in Doha, Sinner is operating with his classic destructing mode in Indian Wells so far. Jannik Sinner’s advancement was equally emphatic as he dismantled Denis Shapovalov with trademark precision. The Italian world No 2 broke early in both sets to prevent the Canadian from finding the rhythm that saw him upset Stefanos Tsitsipas in the previous round. He lost 7 games and spent only 135 minutes on court in two rounds.