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Teenage prodigy João Fonseca beats old master Novak Djokovic in five-set epic at French Open

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As Novak Djokovic limped back to his chair four hours into a tennis match that had descended into hell, the 24-times grand slam winner did not have much more to give. A two-set lead had unravelled and his 39-year-old body had hit a wall against a shining opponent 20 years his junior. Having reached the umpire’s chair, Djokovic vomited into the red dirt. Still, nobody has mastered the art of finding victory from a miserable position quite like Djokovic, so everybody inside Court Philippe-Chatrier knew he could always conjure a path through. It took the most courageous, headstrong performance from João Fonseca to refuse his legendary opponent a way back. The 19-year-old Brazilian held on for a career-defining victory, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5, after 4hr 53min. While Fonseca is still a teenager this victory was a long time coming considering his talent and the attention that has been on him. Fonseca was asked about the self-belief that underscored the victory during his on-court interview.…

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