Tag Archives: Facundo Díaz Acosta

Joao Fonseca Becomes First Player Born in 2006 to Win an ATP Tour-Level Match

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Joao Fonseca is making ATP Tour history…

The 17-year-old Brazilian tennis player became the first player born in 2006 to win an ATP Tour-level match when he beat seventh-seeded Arthur Fils 6-0, 6-4 at the Rio Open on Wednesday.

Joao FonsecaFonseca defeated the No. 36-ranked Frenchman in front of raucous fans at the clay court tournament in Rio de Janeiro. He knelt on the court in tears to celebrate.

“This is where I belong. I want to be in these huge stadiums,” said Fonseca, who won the US Open boys singles title last year. “Now it is all about focusing on the process.”

Fonseca, currently ranked No. 655, is expected to jump about 200 positions after beating Fils. Fonseca said he is yet to decide whether he will play tennis for an American university later this year.

“For now I am very focused in the pro-tour, I want to get to the top,” said Fonseca. “That is going to be a personal decision with my family, I won’t make it public now,.”

His opponent in the round of 16 will be Cristian Garin of Chile.

Fonseca’s victory brought some new energy for local fans, who saw three of the title favorites crash out Tuesday.

Carlos Alcaraz abandoned his match against Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro due to an ankle injury; three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka lost to Argentina’s Facundo Díaz Acosta in straight sets; and Chile’s Nicolás Jarry was knocked out by Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in three sets.

Fourth-seeded Francisco Cerúndolo of Argentina advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Spain’s Albert Ramos-Viñolas 6-2, 6-1.

Rain later postponed to Thursday the match between second-seeded and defending champion Cameron Norrie against Chile’s Tomás Barrios Vera for a place among the last eight.

Facundo Díaz Acosta Defeats Nicolas Jarry at Argentina Open to Claim First-Ever ATP Tour Singles Title

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Facundo Díaz Acosta’s wild(card) ride has come to a triumphant end…

The 23-year-old Argentine professional tennis player, a wildcard at the Argentina Open, won his maiden ATP Tour singles title on Sunday by beating Chile’s Nicolás Jarry 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the clay-court tournament.

Facundo DiazThe ATP said that Diaz Acosta became only the second left-handed champion — after Rafael Nadal — at the Buenos Aires tournament.

Díaz Acosta began the week with a career-high ranking of 87. He’s set to rise to No. 59 when the rankings are released Monday.

“This is yet to sink in,” Díaz Acosta told raucous fans. “I have dreamed about this moment for a long time, working with my team and having my family to back me. It is a dream come true that this happened in Argentina.”

Third-seeded Jarry was chasing his fourth ATP title.

Díaz Acosta’s victory was easier than expected against Jarry, who struggled to compete after beating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.

Alcaraz is now set to compete at the Rio Open in Brazil, also on clay, which he won in 2022

Nicolas Jarry Upsets Carlos Alcaraz to Reach Argentina Open Final

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Nicolas Jarry has claimed the biggest victory of his career…

The 28-year-old Chilean professional tennis player upset Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(2), 6-3 on Saturday at the Argentina Open to extend the Spaniard’s title drought to nine tournaments since his Wimbledon triumph last July.

Nicolas JarryJarry had taken a set from the 20-year-old in their two prior ATP Head2Head meetings and showed clear intent to take the fight to the World No. 2 from the outset. Jarry matched Alcaraz’s power from the baseline, made a number of confident net approaches and didn’t face a break point in the first set.

After dropping serve at the beginning of the second set, Jarry immediately broke back for 1-1 and then claimed the decisive break in the eighth game.

“Third time lucky,” Jarry said of his first win over Alcaraz. “Carlos is one of the best players so it means a lot, especially after the battles I’ve had a couple of days ago. It’s been very tough physically, so I’m very happy to be able to come back.

“I didn’t start very well and couldn’t win points on his serve, but I came back little by little.”

In a tense final game that featured several breathtaking points, Jarry went down a break point when he gambled on a big second serve at 30-all, double faulting for the first time in the match. He later double faulted a second time on match point before soon after closing out the win in one hour, 55 minutes.

Third-seeded Jarry claimed the 100th win of his career in the second round when he rallied to defeat Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka in a third-set tiebreak after the three-time major champion served for the match at 5-4.

“It’s a difficult defeat, it hurt me a lot,” Alcaraz said. “There are many things to improve, and my level has to go up. I played good tennis but very far from my real level.

“I felt good physically and it’s important, and I think that with work I will get better… but having opportunities, is difficult.

“The positive thing is that I see that I have a lot of things to improve. Learning that I have to read the matches better, to give my best version in the moments of tension. Today I lacked that in the 0-30, in the break-points, to be able to play differently there.”

In Sunday’s final Jarry will play 23-year-old Argentine wild card Facundo Diaz Acosta, who defeated countryman Federico Coria 6-2, 6-3

Jarry has this week climbed back inside the Top 20 of the ATP Live Rankings and will move to a career-high No. 17 from his current No. 19 should he win his fourth ATP Tour title.

Facundo Díaz Acosta Defeats Federico Coria at Argentina Open Semifinals to Reach First-Ever ATP Tour Final

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Facundo Díaz Acosta is living his best life, career-wise…

The 23-year-old Argentine professional tennis player, a wildcard at the Argentina Open, defeated Federico Coria on Saturday 6-2, 6-3 to reach the first final of his career on the ATP Tour.

Facundo Díaz Acosta With the win, Diaz Acosta was able to achieve his place in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings. Now, focused and practicing meditation on and off the court, he confirms that he still has a lot to give.

However, Díaz Acosta’s recent changes did not happen from one day to the next.

“Little by little I’m feeling more part of this circuit…”, he stated at a press conference. And that’s how his path has been, all in due time, without jumping steps all at once and, above all, convinced of belonging and finding (and find) your place on the Tour.

A little over two years ago, when he felt that there were more doubts than certainties and he was still unable to put his full potential on the court, Díaz Acosta decided to try something new: meditation. And that was a complete change, from the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. Of course it was not immediate, but today it is collecting the expected results.

“I started working with a mental coach and it’s to try to escape reality a little bit. Breathing, closing my eyes, looking for concentration. Don’t let my thoughts go anywhere,” he said. All of that, of course, is about the hand with beginning to have more prominence in the most important tournaments in the world.

A year ago, in Buenos Aires, Díaz Acosta won his first ATP Tour match, also against Coria. This time, the context was different, but the result was the same. “Winning so many games is a new sensation and I have to get used to it. Hopefully it will be the first of many,” he said with a smile. “Before I was all about tennis… One Friday night I would watch a tournament. Now I allow myself to go watch my friends play soccer or go out and have a drink, with peace of mind, obviously,” he acknowledged with a smile.

Why was he able to achieve it now? “I was maturing and learning a lot of things. From the defeats and moments, you feel more confident. Little by little I started making that famous click,” he said.

With the win, Díaz Acosta becomes the third wildcard to reach the final in Buenos Aires (Puerta, final in 2005, Ferrer, champion in 2014). He is guaranteed a new career high, rising to No. 69 in the ATP Live Rankings.