Taylor Fritz match suspended as players set to return next day
Taylor Fritz and Joao Fonseca were forced to return on Thursday to complete their Eastbourne quarter-final after bad light suspended play on Wednesday evening
Taylor Fritz's showdown with Joao Fonseca at Eastbourne was halted due to fading light on Wednesday evening, leaving the match tantalizingly poised with each competitor claiming a set.
The duo sought advice from ATP supervisor Jerry Armstrong and decided together it was wise to postpone the deciding third until Thursday afternoon because of poor visibility as Wimbledon looms ever closer.
Joao Fonseca broached the topic with concern about visibility saying, "It's difficult to see already, and then in like two games..." US star Fritz concurred, noting the deteriorating conditions: "It's already getting pretty hard, what's the point of playing two games? There's no chance, it's going to be dark..." Subsequently, an announcement followed that led to disappointed reactions from the spectators: "Due to darkness, play is suspended."
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Even as top seed Fritz secured the first set with impressive speed, boasting a 6-3 finish in 26 minutes, Fonseca retaliated by taking the second set in a cliffhanging tiebreak. With expectations high, the match will recommence on Thursday, scheduled not before noon, and the victor set to go up against America's Marcos Giron in the quarterfinal round.
Fritz was nudging close to a straight-sets triumph, reaching a 5-5 tie in the second set, but Fonseca rallied to initiate the tiebreak, earning his spot via a critical volley. Fonseca, only 18 and enjoying a career-high ATP rank of 57th, is rapidly making a name for himself as one of the sport’s thrilling young talents.
Fonseca sailed through to the next round at Eastbourne with a resounding victory over Zizou Bergs, notching a "bagel" in the second set. Top seed Fritz, fresh from a win in Stuttgart, had no trouble advancing into the round of 16.
In other news from the courts of Eastbourne on Wednesday, Britain's own Dan Evans clinched a surprise victory against one of America's finest, Tommy Paul, thus booking his slot in the quarter-finals against fellow American and lucky loser Jenson Brooksby.
An emotional Evans reflected on his performance: "I said to myself, enjoy it, this is what it's about and I played much better tennis. I played good tennis again and thanks again to the crowd, you got me through."
Speaking about his preparation, he added: "I know I've done the work, once I got some confidence, I knew the work was in the bank. A good friend said, if you're ready and the doors open, you'll walk through it and if you're not you won't. There's been no truer word the past few weeks and hopefully there's more to come."
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Meanwhile, Czech third seed Jakub Mensik is set to face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the sixth seed, on Thursday. Earlier, Mensik defeated Reilly Opelka, and Davidovich overcame James Duckworth.
The remaining quarter-final matches are also scheduled for Thursday.
