Madrid Masters: Fonseca sets up second round clash against Tommy Paul

Brazilian Joao Fonseca beat Danish qualifier Elmer Moller 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the second round of the Madrid Masters at the Caja Mágica on Thursday.

The big-hitting Brazilian, who won the Argentina Open earlier this season, used his dropshot effectively to beat Moller, who had won a Challenger title last week and came through qualifying.

“I knew the guy I was playing he was playing good this week, he just won a challenger, went through quallies and did pretty well. So I knew it was going to be a difficult match, but happy the way that I fought today,” Fonseca told the media after his win.

Fonseca, ranked No 65, will face No 11 seed Tommy Paul next, someone who is already a little familiar with.

“I know that he likes to play on clay. I know it’s going to be a difficult match. I already practiced with him once, it was here in Madrid, and last year. Yeah, excited for the match, I know it’s going to be difficult. Tomorrow I’ll prepare, think about the match, focus on the training, talk to my team about the strategy, and go for it on Saturday,” Fonseca said.

Madrid Masters 1000, other first-round matches (Caja Mágica, clay, EUR 8.055.385, most recent results first):

• Yunchaokete Bu vs. Jacob Fearnley

• Reilly Opelka vs. Rinky Hijikata
• Tallon Griekspoor vs. Vit Kopriva: thursday
• Learner Tien vs. Marcos Giron: thursday
• Jan-Lennard Struff beat Botic van de Zandschulp (LL): 7-5, 2-6, 4-1 ret.
• Matteo Arnaldi beat Borna Coric (Q): 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
• Cameron Norrie beat Martin Landaluce (WC): 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4
• Nicolas Jarry beat Daniel Altmaier (Q): 6-3, 6-2
• Luciano Darderi beat Quentin Halys: 6-4, 6-4
• Lorenzo Sonego beat Miomir Kecmanovic: 6-4, 7-6 (5)
• Gabriel Diallo (LL) beat Zizou Bergs: 6-1, 6-2
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Hamad Medjedovic: 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4
• Kei Nishikori beat Aleksandar Vukic: 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
• Damir Dzumhur beat Mattia Bellucci: 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
• Alexandre Muller beat David Goffin: 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 ret.
• Flavio Cobolli beat Fabian Marozsan: 7-6 (4), 7-5
• Gael Monfils beat Borna Gojo (Q): 1-6, 6-2, 6-4
• Alexander Bublik beat Alex Michelsen: 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4)
• Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Q) beat Aleksandar Kovacevic: 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
• Laslo Djere beat Fabio Fognini (Q): 6-2, 6-3
• Francisco Comesana beat Pedro Martinez Portero: 6-4, 6-4
• Sebastian Ofner beat Hugo Gaston (Q): 6-4, 6-3
• Roberto Bautista Agut beat Jaume Munar: 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
• Ethan Quinn (Q) beat Dusan Lajovic (Q): 6-3, 6-4
• Harold Mayot (Q) beat Corentin Moutet: 6-3, 4-2 ret.
• Nuno Borges beat Pablo Carreno Busta (WC): 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 6-3
• Benjamin Bonzi beat Marin Cilic (WC): 6-3, 6-2
• Christopher O’Connell beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli: 6-3, 6-4
• Arthur Rinderknech beat Roman Safiullin: 7-6 (4), 6-1
• Federico Cina (WC) beat Chak Lam Coleman Wong (WC): 7-6 (5), 6-1
• Mariano Navone beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard: 6-4, 6-4