Joao Fonseca "knew" his Roland Garros hype would build post Djokovic win, tops Ruud for first major QF

What would Joao Fonseca bring to the table in primetime at Roland Garros after scoring the biggest win of his career from two sets down over Novak Djokovic?

Plenty more firepower in getting through to his first career major quarterfinal.

Recognizing that more expectations would be placed on him, Fonseca stayed locked in to take down two-time finalist Casper Ruud in an enthralling 7-5, 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-2 victory.

“I knew the win against Djokovic was gonna put a lot of hype and a lot of imagination that I could be satisfied or whatever. I just tried to enter today very focused,” he told host broadcaster Whisper afterward. “Tried to breathe a lot and put intensity on every point. Played good, the way that I went. Offensive, went for the shots, so I’m very happy.”

The 28th seed notably saved three set points in the second set tiebreak, though the one at 8-7 will be most remembered for going Fonseca’s way when chair umpire Louise Engzell ruled the 19-year-old’s forehand had caught the line after a fan shouted “out!” as Ruud misplayed it.

Broadcasts, however, showed that electronic line calling (ELC) disagreed with Engzell. The other three Grand Slam events, as well as tour-level tournaments, use the technology in favor of human linespeople. Ruud didn’t appear to argue once the decision was made.

In the final set, Fonseca raced to a 5-1 lead before closing out the Norwegian at 12 27 a.m. Monday. He is the first Brazilian man to reach the final eight of the French Open since Gustavo Kuerten in 2004. The three-time champion cheered on Fonseca from a front-row seat throughout the three-hour-and-55-minute battle.

“An idol for our sport and for our country. For his career, he is known for the way that he is and how humble he is,” Fonseca said during his on-court interview with Mats Wilander.

“He was here for my first time at Roland Garros, my first match as a junior, and it’s a pleasure to have him here. It’s a pleasure to win against a very tough opponent in front of him, so I’m just very happy.”

Awaiting in the next round is fellow first-time major quarterfinalist Jakub Mensik. The 20-year-old held off No. 11 seed Andrey Rublev, 6-3, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 2-6, 6-3. Seeded 26th, Mensik has matched Fonseca with a pair of five-set wins during his run.