Source : ABC NEWS
Teenage sensation Joao Fonseca has continued what could be his breakout grand slam tournament at the French Open, reaching the quarterfinals of a major for the first time.
Having already stunned 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic in the third round, Fonseca produced a dazzling display to beat two-time Roland-Garros finalist Casper Ruud and reach the last eight in Paris.
It took just under four hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier for the 19-year-old to emerge victorious, 7-5, 7-6(10/8), 5-7, 6-2 over 15th-seeded Ruud, who finished runner-up in 2022 and 2023.
Fonseca’s victory came after twice rallying from two sets down in this tournament, pushing his total time on court to a gruelling 14-and-a-half hours.
“I feel tired,” he said.
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“It’s a first time for me, it’s a new experience getting through to the second week of a grand slam.”
Fonseca utilised his massive forehand and serve, but mixed in serve and volley points as Ruud forced him to pull out all his tricks.
Fonseca, who matched Ruud exactly with 51 winners and 52 unforced errors, said his play was as much instinct as intelligence.
“I just try to be me on court, try to be happy, try to hit winners, try to hit good shots, try to be entertainment,” he said.
He will face Jakub Menšík in the quarters after the 26th-seeded Czech beat 11th seed Andrey Rublev in a five-set marathon.
Four-time champ goes down
This year marks Iga Świątek’s earliest exit at Roland-Garros since 2019. (Getty Images: Robert Prange)
On the women’s side, Iga Świątek’s 25th birthday celebrations turned sour when the former champion lost to 15th seed Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round, and her quest for a fifth title ended just when she had looked to be rediscovering her form.
Świątek’s shock 7-5, 6-1 loss came amid a chaotic spell at Roland-Garros, with Djokovic, men’s world number one Jannik Sinner and defending women’s champion Coco Gauff all going out in the previous three days.
It leaves world number one Aryna Sabalenka as the favourite to lift her first title in Paris, though Ukrainian Kostyuk will be one to watch as she builds on the momentum that has helped her sparkle on clay this season.
“I’m still in shock,” Kostyuk said in an on-court interview after reaching her first French Open quarterfinal.
This is Marta Kostyuk’s second trip to the quarterfinals of a major. (Getty Images: Sport News/Quality Sport Images)
“I feel like I’ve given myself more space to just create something, to challenge my opponents. I woke up in the morning, and all I thought was, ‘What an unbelievable day I have to live today … there’s nothing I could do other than this.’
“I try not to focus at all on winning and losing, because I’m not playing tennis to win. I’m playing because I love it. I want to connect to people, feel this energy … make people happy and unite people.”
It was a difficult day for Świątek, who has forged her reputation as the “Queen of Clay” but has now gone two years without winning a title on the surface following her last triumph in Paris.
After her earliest defeat at Roland-Garros since her debut campaign in 2019, Świątek will now look to find comfort on grass ahead of her Wimbledon title defence starting on June 29.
“It wasn’t a good day in the office,” she said.
“Many things I could manage a bit better, but it was super tough for me today to keep the level that I wanted to. Obviously, at this stage, any opponent in the fourth round who has already played a couple of matches will use the opportunity.
“Congratulations to Marta.”
The French Open will crown new champions in both the men’s and women’s draws for the first time since Djokovic and Garbine Muguruza triumphed a decade ago.
ABC/Reuters
