Photo Source: TTV
Indian Wells, California – Playing in extreme wind is a rite of passage at the BNP Paribas Open. You don’t have to play in it every time around, but all the big names have dealt with it, and fought through the harsh reality that they’d have to find ways to win without feeling the ball in the way they prefer.
Such was the fate of BNP Paribas Open debutants Joao Fonseca and Jacob Fearnley on Thursday as the pair battled in squall conditions and conducted an entertaining – if ugly – tug-of-war that ended with a five-game run by the 18-year-old and a hard-fought 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory.
“First round of a Masters, windy, playing against a great guy,” Fonseca told reporters in the main interview room a few hours after the match. “So, I mean, it was difficult conditions, but I got through so I'm very happy the way that I fought today.”
For a while, it looked like he would not get through. Fearnley and his enormous forehand had turned the match on its ear. After a poor opening set the former Texan Christian University standout took charge of the run of play and dominated the second set.
Things stayed on track for him in the third set, but he few key mistakes would eventually lead to his undoing. A double-fault gave Fonseca the break back and three-all and he was off to the races after that. He broke again for 5-3 and served out the contest, sealing the win with a perfect backhand volley, to advance to the second round, where 13th-seeded Jack Draper waits.
Fonseca headed to the practice courts immediately after the win, hoping to regain his feel for the ball.
“The conditions were very difficult today, a lot of wind. So I was not feeling the ball very much because it was difficult to play. So it was just a cooldown.”
Fonseca is known for his gargantuan groundstrokes but he was actually outhit by Fearnley, who cracked 24 forehand winners on the day. Most important however, was the kid’s ability to downshift and make sure he kept his game clean down the stretch.
“After, it was just more of a mental game than both playing. I think he was playing better than me most of the time. But like I said, when it's windy, it's just a little mistake, and at this level it's just one point that can win you the match.”