Alcaraz gets a scare from Fonseca, but activates ‘turbo mode’ and wins in Miami

João Fonseca gave Carlos Alcaraz a tough time, but saw the Spaniard shine in the final stretch of the exhibition match in the USA and ended up being defeated, 2 sets to 1, by the world number 1. The match was a friendly and did not count towards the ATP ranking.

The “Miami Invitational” duel was marked by a friendly atmosphere, great points, and back-and-forth power struggles. The Brazilian started by losing the 1st set (5-7), but reacted and tied the score after a magical 2nd set (6-2). The 19-year-old seemed poised for victory by opening up a 5-0 lead in the super tie-break, but ended up defeated by an opponent who switched to “turbo mode” and won 10-8.O 1º set foi bastante equilibrado, e houve uma quebra de serviço para cada lado até o 5-5. Alcaraz acelerou na reta final, voltou a frustrar o saque do rival e, depois de um game quase que interminável, fechou em 7-5 em erro brasileiro.

Um momento curioso do game ocorreu quando Fonseca sacou forte (a 129 mph, ou 207 km/h) e danificou a rede. Um dos sensores da estrutura foi atingido pela bolinha, fato que fez a organização do torneio substituir a fita e paralisar o embate por três minutos.