The first meeting between World No. 4 Taylor Fritz and Brazilian teenage powerhouse and World No. 57 Joao Fonseca is going to be a two day event. Fritz and Fonseca got a late start because the matches before them went long. After the pair split the first two sets, they agreed to postpone the third set until Thursday.
Taylor Fritz and Joao Fonseca Traded First Two Sets
Fritz got an early break in the first set and cruised to a 6-3 win.
Sealed with an ace 💌
Fritz takes the first set 6-3 over Fonseca.#LexusEastbourneOpen pic.twitter.com/exImXnqH3O
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 25, 2025
The second set was a different story as Fonseca started to find his game and confidence. It came down to a tiebreak that Fonseca played more aggressively. During the second set, Fritz seemed visibly frustrated. Fonseca raised his level of play, anticipating well where the Fritz serve was being directed and showing some touch skills that are not normally synonymous with his game.
Coming up CLUTCH 🙌
Fonseca takes the second 7-6(5) against Fritz to force a decider in Eastbourne. @the_LTA | #LexusEastbouneOpen pic.twitter.com/nedds4mei7
— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 25, 2025
Who Has The Advantage?
At the end of the second set, Joao Fonseca’s level of play was elevated, and Fritz’s dropped. Fritz did not bother to sit in his seat after the second set tiebreaker was decided. He spoke with the chair umpire immediately. I thought maybe he was asking for the physio or for a bathroom break, but it appears he was talking about suspending the match. Fritz is fortunate that it was getting dark (approximately 8:30 local time with no stadium lighting available). He has a chance to reset, but can he? Fonseca is no stranger to upset wins. He defeated Andrey Rublev (current World No. 14) at the Australian Open this year. Should Fonseca win, it will be the biggest win of his young career on a surface that he has limited experience on.
