De Minaur keeps his cool to oust Fonseca

Australia's Alex de Minaur put an end to Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca's challenge at the Miami Open, outlasting the 18-year-old 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in an enthralling contest on March 24.

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MIAMI GARDENS - Australia's Alex de Minaur put an end to Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca's challenge at the Miami Open, outlasting the 18-year-old 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in an enthralling contest on March 24.

Attendance on stadium court had been sparse throughout the day, but the Hard Rock Stadium turned into a mini-Maracana Stadium for Fonseca's match, complete with Brazilian flags and football-style chanting.

Fonseca brought his energetic brand of ultra-attacking tennis, but de Minaur was up to the challenge, as the 26-year-old coped with both the blistering forehands and the partisan crowd.

Such was the dominance of Fonseca's raucous support that the referee switched to Portuguese for his appeals for quiet.

But de Minaur won six of the final seven games to move into the fourth round, keeping his cool even when the crowd, at times, disrupted his serve preparation.

"Mentally I was ready for this match," said de Minaur, who will face Matteo Berrettini for a place in the quarter-finals.