Zverev Beats Fonseca to Reach Monte Carlo Semis

Alexander Zverev advanced to the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday by defeating 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3 in a hard-fought quarterfinal match on the outdoor clay courts of the Monte Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France.

The world number three from Germany, who entered the tournament as the third seed, broke Fonseca in the 11th game of the first set and served it out to love, then broke again early in the second. Fonseca mounted a comeback, winning four straight games from a 1-3 deficit to reach set point, but Zverev forced a tiebreak. The Brazilian, ranked 40th, dominated the breaker with powerful groundstrokes to level the match. In the decider, Zverev elevated his game, breaking in the sixth game and closing out the victory on serve. The win marked Zverev's third semifinal appearance at the event and his third consecutive Masters 1000 semifinal of the year.

Despite the result, Zverev expressed dissatisfaction with the overall quality of play in an on-court interview. "I'm not sure" about the level, he said. "I don't think it was a great match, to be honest, from both of us. But, as I said, this is the first week on clay...