Surprise in Rio: Muller Appeales Fonseca’s fire | ATP Tour

Rio de Janeiro

Muller apostacates Fonseca’s fire

Alexander Zverev also advanced on Tuesday in Rio

February 19, 2025

While Alexandre Muller was a favorite to overcome Joao Fonseca according to the ranking, he was not considering the context. The Brazilian came from winning his first ATP title in Buenos Aires and to awaken admiration and even more expectations worldwide. Also, I played at home. However, the Frenchman was the ‘etching’ of the night.

No. 60 of the PIF ATP Rankings won with a surprising forcefulness before No. 68 with partials of 6-1, 7-6 (4). In addition to that benefited from the 34 uninforced errors of his 18 -year -old rival, Muller was impeccable with his serve, a blow with which he saved the two Break Points he faced.

In addition, he did not resend the voltage of the crowd against, especially at the key moments of the encounter of one hour and 32 minutes. And although he did not take advantage of the six opportunities for rupture in the second set, the Frenchman dominated in the tiebreaker to keep his sixth win of the season.

Surprise in Rí😲!

🇫🇷 Alexandre Muller defeats 🇧🇷 Joao Fonseca and advances to the round of 👏@RioOpenOficial | #Rioopen pic.twitter.com/CPjZj6zz2e

– ATP Tour en Español (@atppour_es) February 19, 2025

“It was difficult to play against such a good player and against about 5,000 spectators, but I am very happy to have achieved victory today,” Muller said about his first triumph of the year in clay. “I felt calm during the middle of the game. I did not take advantage of my opportunities to get a break in the second set and then he played better and better, but I played a great Tie-Break to finish the game. ”

Muller thus returns to the path of victory. After winning at the beginning of the year on the fast tracks of Hong Kong his first title at the ATP Tour, he added three defeats in a row counting all levels. The adverse streak is over Tuesday to the detriment of the illusion of Brazilians to see their new idol win.

The next 28-year-old French rival will be the Argentine Tomás Etcheverry, who beat another Frenchman, Corentin Moutet, with partials of 6-3, 7-6 (1). It will be Muller’s first confrontation against current No. 43 of the world, which last week fell in his debut in Buenos Aires, just before the eventual champion Fonseca.

Another that advanced this Tuesday was Alexander Zverev. The German, first standard head, made his debut in the tournament beating the Chinese Yunchaakete BU with partial 7-64), 6-4 in two hours and four minutes of play.

BU went from 1-4 in the first manga to have Set Point with his service in 5-4, but No. 2 of the PIF ATP Rankings traced to add his second triumph of the year in clay, and to quote in the second round Al Kazajo Alexander Shevchenko. It will be the first duel between them.

“It was not a great game for me, but he played a good tennis,” said Zverev, who won only 71 percent of the points with the first service. In addition, he made 28 undined errors. “It made it difficult for me. Actually, it is surprising because, as you know, I played very, very good in training here throughout the week, so I hope it is just the first game. ”