Brazilian Thiago Monteiro pulls off shock at Rio Open
Xinhua, February 18, 2016 Adjust font size:
Brazilian Thiago Monteiro, ranked 338th in the world, pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the Rio Open Wednesday afternoon by beating Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, currently at number nine.
Monteiro beat his much-favoured opponent in three sets. The home-based athlete took the lead with a 6-3 success in the first set, before Songa levelled by the same margin.
But Monteiro managed a memorable victory, winning the third set 6-4 to progress to the next round.
The last time a Brazilian tennis player upset one of the world's best was in 2012, when Thomaz Bellucci beat David Ferrer in the second round of the 1,000 Masters in Monte Carlo.
The 21-year-old will now face Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas, ranked 34th in the ATP list.
Monteiro was as high as second in the junior rankings, but has suffered a series of injuries over recent years. Endit