ATP Miami Masters: Zhang Zhizhen Falls in First Round, Fonseca Advances to Face Alcaraz

On March 19 local time, the ATP Miami Masters commenced its singles first-round matches. Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen lost to French veteran Mannarino 3-6, 2-6 in the opening round, exiting the tournament after just 65 minutes. His live ranking has now risen to No. 255. Since the Doha event in February, Zhang Zhizhen has suffered four consecutive losses on tour. Regaining match rhythm after injury recovery naturally takes time, and hopes are high that he can gradually regain his touch and confidence in upcoming tournaments.

Zhang Zhizhen

Brazilian popular newcomer Fonseca spent 1 hour and 50 minutes to defeat Hungarian player Marozsan 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. He will face world No. 1 Alcaraz in the second round, marking their first professional meeting. Fonseca recently lost to Sinner in two tiebreak sets at Indian Wells, and now he will challenge another top player in Miami. When discussing the upcoming match against Alcaraz, the 19-year-old did not hide his anticipation.

Fonseca

"I'm really excited. I don't know how other players feel, but I look forward to competing against top players," Fonseca said. "I just played against Sinner in the previous tournament, and now I'll face Carlos. This is definitely a valuable experience. I'm very excited, it will be a great match, and I hope to win."

17-year-old French wildcard entry Kame made his career Masters debut, defeating qualifier Schwanda 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round, thereby unlocking multiple achievements: the youngest main-draw winner in Miami tournament history, the youngest Masters winner since Nadal (Hamburg) in 2003, and the first player born in 2009 or later to win an ATP Tour main-draw match. This young rising star will face 21st seed Lehecka in the second round.

（Text and editing/ Wang Fei, Image/ Visual China）