Alexander Zverev produced a composed performance under pressure to defeat Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca in a hard-fought quarter-final at the Monte Carlo Masters.
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MONTE CARLO — World No. 3 Alexander Zverev produced a composed performance under pressure to defeat Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca in a hard-fought quarter-final at the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday.
The German came through 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3 in two hours and 40 minutes, sealing his place in the semi-finals of the clay-court tournament for the third time.
The match was very competitive from start to finish. Zverev won a total of 104 points, while Fonseca finished with 97. Both players had similar serving numbers, but Zverev had a slight advantage. He won 72 per cent of points on his first serve, compared to Fonseca’s 68 per cent. On second serve, both players were almost equal, with Zverev at 58 per cent and Fonseca at 59 per cent.
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Zverev also made better use of his chances. He converted four out of seven break points, while Fonseca managed to convert two out of three. The German faced only three break points during the match and was broken twice, while Fonseca lost his serve four times.
In the first set, Zverev stayed solid and got the crucial break in the 11th game. He then served well to take the set 7-5. In the second set, he started strongly and went 3-1 ahead, but Fonseca showed great fighting spirit. The 19-year-old won four games in a row to lead 5-3. Although he could not serve out the set, he played an excellent tie-break and won it 7-3 to level the match.
In the deciding set, Zverev remained calm and focused. He held his serve comfortably and got an important break in the sixth game to go 4-2 up. From there, he controlled the match and closed it out at 5-3.
Fonseca impressed with his aggressive play but made too many errors at key moments. Zverev will next face either Jannik Sinner or Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals.