ATP 250. Argentina Open – By Leo Canaparo
Brazilian player Joao Fonseca, last year’s first South American champion of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, dazzled in the first round of the Buenos Aires ATP tournament by defeating one of the top local players, Tomás Etcheverry (No. 44), with a commanding 6-3, 6-3 victory.
The Argentine player reflected on the match, saying, “It was my first match on clay in a long time. I faced a very young opponent who still has a lot to learn, but his level is already very high. He will probably become a star.” Etcheverry then added, “I would have preferred a different match to start on clay.”
The defeat against the promising Brazilian talent weighed heavily on Etcheverry, who, despite not wanting to overanalyze it, seemed visibly discouraged by the result. “When you don’t play on this surface for a long time, it can cause difficulties. Today’s match required me to play at a very high level and not give any chances. Even so, my goal was to advance, and to do that, you have to beat everyone,” he admitted.