Read & Watch: Fonseca Surges Into QFs On Debut

Brazilian teen Joao Fonseca has become the youngest Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters quarter-finalist in more than 20 years after winning a forehand battle with Matteo Berrettini, 10 years his senior, on Court des Princes Thursday.

The 19-year-old claimed four service breaks and dropped just three points on his first serve in a 6-3, 6-2 victory to advance to his first quarter-final at ATP Masters 1000 level.

“It’s super special. I’ve been looking for this result for a long time,” Fonseca said. “I put on a lot of pressure by playing huge return games and great Serve +1 on my serve as well. Doing that helped me to stay calm during the match.”

Fonseca is the youngest quarter-finalist in the Principality since 18-year-olds Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet in 2005.

As both players uncorked on their serves and forehands, there was little separating them in the match until Fonseca literally put Berrettini on the back foot in the eighth game. Backpedalling at the net, the Italian netted an awkward lob and then on break point down, he netted an overly aggressive forehand moving backwards deep and wide behind the baseline to drop serve. Fonseca then served out the set to love.

The decisive moment of the second set came in the fifth game. Berrettini had just broken back for 2-all but was staring down a break point. Fonseca’s routine crosscourt forehand volley clipped the net, giving Berrettini plenty of time to set up a midcourt pass into an open court, but the Italian pushed it wide as the Brazilian hustled to his left to entice the 29-year-old into overplaying his forehand.

Berrettini, who dismissed Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-0 in the second round, remains at No. 90 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, far below his career-high of No. 6.

Fonseca, who is the first Brazilian Masters 1000 quarter-finalist since Thomaz Bellucci in Madrid in 2011, will next meet third-seeded German Alexander Zverev, who defeated Belgian Zizou Bergs 6-2, 7-5.

Zverev was broken to love when he first tried to serve out the match, but responded by breaking Bergs and then firing two aces in the final game.

Zverev leads all players for most ATP Masters 1000 wins this decade with 108. He has now reached the quarter-finals of seven of his past eight Masters 1000 events.

“Today it was a better match from my side,” said Zverev, who had to rally from 2-5 in his opener to defeat Cristian Garin. “Still not perfect and I would say it’s still far from the level I played in the US, but this is the first tournament on clay, so I feel like nobody’s gonna play perfect.

“I’d never played or even practised with him before this week. So getting the chance to practise with him for the first time allowed me to know what to expect.”