Fritz and Fonseca Match Suspended as Darkness Falls in Eastbourne

EASTBOURNE, England — Taylor Fritz and Joao Fonseca‘s second-round match at the Lexus Eastbourne Open was suspended Wednesday evening due to darkness, leaving the match tied at one set apiece.

The top-seeded American, Fritz, won the first set 6-3 in just 26 minutes. However, the 18-year-old Brazilian, Fonseca, rallied to take the second set 7-6 (5) after a dramatic tiebreaker.

The players were just two points away from a decision in the second set when Fonseca made a pivotal volley to earn a set point. Both players agreed to suspend play after discussing the lighting conditions with ATP supervisor Jerry Armstrong.

“It’s difficult to see already, and then in like two games…” Fonseca said, with Fritz adding, “It’s already getting pretty hard, what’s the point of playing two games?” The umpire then announced to the crowd that play was suspended due to darkness.

The match will resume Thursday at 12 p.m. local time, with the winner advancing to face American Marcos Giron in the quarter-finals. Fritz, currently ranked No. 5 in the world, recently won the ATP 250 event in Stuttgart and has a season record of 21-11. Fonseca, ranked No. 57, is seeking his first Top 5 victory in their first meeting.

Meanwhile, British player Dan Evans pulled off an upset, defeating Tommy Paul 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, to move into the quarter-finals against fellow American Jenson Brooksby. Evans expressed his joy after the win, stating, “I said to myself, enjoy it, this is what it’s about.”

The last eight matches at the Eastbourne Open will continue Thursday, including other notable matchups such as Czech third seed Jakub Mensik against sixth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.