Fonseca and Melo Ignite Rio Doubles Fire
Amid the electric hum of home support at the Rio Open, Joao Fonseca and Marcelo Melo dismantled the second seeds with surgical serving, turning wildcard nerves into a commanding 6-4, 6-0 triumph that echoes through the clay courts.
In the balmy glow of Rio de Janeiro’s evening lights, Joao Fonseca and Marcelo Melo fed off the crowd’s pulse to claim a doubles rout on Wednesday at the Rio Open presented by Claro. The Brazilian pair toppled second seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-4, 6-0, their serves carving through the humid air like precision strikes. Landing 82 percent of first serves and snaring 84 percent of those points, they built an unbreakable rhythm on the red clay, where every hold amplified the home roar.
Home icons bridge age and expectation
Wild cards in this ATP 500 draw, the duo’s 23-year age gap between the veteran Marcelo Melo and the surging Joao Fonseca sparked rather than stalled their synergy. They countered the Argentines’ probing crosscourt exchanges with inside-out forehands that yanked opponents wide, opening lanes for down-the-line volleys. This tactical poise turned the court’s slow bounce into an ally, pinning the seeds deep and forcing errors in the second set’s onslaught.
Next, they eye a quarterfinal clash against Germans Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner or compatriots Gustavo Heide and Luis Miguel, where Melo‘s net instincts could exploit any lapses in return positioning. Fonseca juggles this doubles momentum with his third-seeded singles path, facing Peru’s Ignacio Buse on Thursday for a quarterfinal spot. The crowd’s fervor lingers as a mental edge, testing whether this wildcard fire sustains through the week’s grind.
Singles grind reveals clay endurance
Alejandro Tabilo clawed into the quarterfinals with a gritty 4-6, 7-6(0), 6-2 reversal over lucky loser Francesco Passaro, his second-set tiebreak clampdown shifting the baseline war. Back-to-back last-eight runs after Buenos Aires mark his first such streak, where sustained topspin rallies wear down foes on Rio’s grippy surface. Tabilo’s composure under fading light hints at a deeper push, blending power with the patience clay demands.
Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo, 24 and climbing to No. 68 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, gutted out his career’s biggest quarterfinal via a 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-4 marathon against Yannick Hanfmann that stretched two hours and 49 minutes. He mixed heavy slices on second serves to disrupt returns, then unleashed crosscourt winners in the decider to seize control. This surge positions him for a career-high breakthrough, the humidity’s toll only sharpening his resolve.
Upsets alter draw’s fragile path
Vit Kopriva dispatched Roman Andres Burruchaga 6-3, 6-1, his flat strikes slicing through defenses with unyielding pressure, each point a calculated step in the Czech’s rising arc. Meanwhile, Thiago Agustin Tirante advanced when top seed Francisco Cerundolo retired at 6-2, 3-1 due to injury, a abrupt pivot that lightens Tirante’s load but exposes the tour’s physical brink. As Thursday dawns, Rio’s clay narrative pivots on these shifts—Fonseca’s home quest, Tabilo’s streak, Cerundolo’s grit—each demanding tactical tweaks to harness the crowd’s lift against mounting fatigue.
