Daijiworld Media Network – Indian Wells

Indian Wells, Mar 11: Jannik Sinner defeated rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca in a gripping contest at the BNP Paribas Open to advance to the quarter-finals of the prestigious ATP Tour event.

The 24-year-old Italian secured a hard-fought 7-6(6), 7-6(4) victory in front of a packed crowd at Indian Wells, saving three set points in the opening-set tie-break before sealing the match in another tense tie-break in the second set.

After the match, Sinner praised the 19-year-old Brazilian for his performance.

“Joao is an incredible player, incredible talent, very powerful from both sides. He was serving very well,” Sinner said, adding that maintaining aggressive play was key to his victory.

The result marked Sinner’s 97th win at the ATP Masters 1000 level, allowing him to surpass Fabio Fognini for the most Masters 1000 victories by an Italian player.

The tightly contested opening set saw both players exchange powerful baseline rallies, with Fonseca initially taking control of the tie-break before Sinner mounted a comeback by winning five consecutive points to claim the set.

Sinner appeared to be heading for a comfortable finish in the second set after building a 5-2 lead, but Fonseca fought back strongly and broke serve to level the set, drawing loud support from Brazilian fans in the crowd.

However, the Italian once again rose to the occasion in the tie-break, winning the final four points and sealing the match with a forehand return winner.

Sinner, currently ranked No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, has now reached the quarter-finals in 11 of the last 12 Masters 1000 tournaments he has played since the start of 2024.

He will next face American player Learner Tien in the quarter-finals after the 20-year-old defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in another dramatic match earlier in the tournament.