How Did Fritz Conquer Fonseca to Reach Quarters at Eastbourne?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Taylor Fritz displayed remarkable resilience in his match against Joao Fonseca.
- Fritz's grass-court experience played a crucial role in his victory.
- The match was a continuation from the previous night due to darkness.
- Fritz will face Marcos Giron in the quarterfinals.
- Fonseca is set to make his debut at Wimbledon.
Eastbourne (U.K.), June 26 (NationPress) - American star Taylor Fritz triumphed over a late challenge from Brazil's Joao Fonseca on Thursday, edging out the NextGenATP talent in a match that resumed from the previous night at the Eastbourne Open, an ATP Tour event on grass courts just a week ahead of Wimbledon.
The second-round showdown was halted due to darkness on Wednesday after both players had split sets. Upon resuming, Fritz quickly found his rhythm. The three-time champion broke early and aimed to serve out the match at 5-3 in the final set before Fonseca mounted a comeback.
Nonetheless, Fritz adapted well to the breezy conditions and Fonseca's resilience, ultimately securing a victory of 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-5 after two hours and two minutes, continuing his impressive history at this event. The top-seeded American, who holds the record for the most titles won in Eastbourne (2019, 2022, 2024), is set to hit the court again later on Thursday to face fellow American Marcos Giron in the quarterfinals.
“I’m really happy. I was pleased with my level of tennis last night; it's unfortunate we couldn't finish then,” Fritz commented. “Coming out today, it was challenging to gauge my grass-court performance; there was a lot of scrapping around,” he added.
Fritz displayed confidence on his serve in the final set, winning all 11 points on his first delivery leading up to the ninth game, as per Infosys ATP Stats.
Despite facing challenges, Fritz relied on his grass-court experience, which has already secured him three Eastbourne victories and his first title of the season two weeks prior in Stuttgart.
The top seed holds a 4-2 ATP head-to-head advantage going into his match against Giron. Fonseca, currently at a career-high No. 57 in the ATP Rankings, achieved his first tour-level grass-court win against Zizou Bergs in the opening round. The 18-year-old is now headed to Wimbledon for his inaugural appearance at the prestigious grass-court major.
In other quarterfinal matches, France's Ugo Humbert, the fourth seed, reached the semifinals with a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory over lucky loser Billy Harris from the U.K. Additionally, American Jenson Brooksby advanced to the last four with a 6-2, 6-3 win over wildcard Daniel Evans.