INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca rallied from a break down in the third set to beat Britain's Jacob Fearnley 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 in his debut at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday.
Fonseca cruised through the first set before Fearnley found his groove in the second to level the match on a windy day in the California desert.
Fearnley raced out to a 3-1 lead in the third before Fonseca stepped up his shotmaking to reel off the final five games. He finished the match in style with a dazzling lunge volley at the net on match point.
"It's a pleasure being here on center court at Indian Wells. It's a dream," said Fonseca, who received a wild-card entry into the tournament. "People call it the fifth Grand Slam, and I can understand why. It's literally a paradise. So I am really grateful. Today was pretty difficult, very windy, and I got through so I'm very happy."
There has been immense hype around 18-year-old Fonseca after he beat Andrey Rublev in straight sets at the Australian Open. That victory was Fonseca's first win over a top-10 opponent, and Fonseca won his first ATP Tour title in Buenos Aires last month.
Fonseca, ranked No. 80 in the world, enjoyed the vocal support of the boisterous Brazilian fans on hand for the match at the ATP 1000 event.
"Everywhere I go there are some Brazilians watching and cheering for me," he said.
Next up for Fonseca is No. 13 seed Jack Draper.
American Jenson Brooksby overcame a nightmare start and dug deep to defeat France's Benjamin Bonzi 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 for his first ATP Tour win in two years.
Brooksby served a 13-month suspension for missing three drugs tests and was hampered by injury after his ban ended.
He made his return to tennis at this year's Australian Open, where he lost in straight sets to compatriot Taylor Fritz in the first round.
Brooksby will next face No. 17 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada.
Reuters contributed to this report.
