Kyrgios Overwhelms Fonseca: But Rio's Star Is Guto Miguel

Nick Kyrgios swept aside Joao Fonseca 3-0 in the group stage of UTS Rio presented by XP, winning 16-11, 17-10, 19-11 in just 37 minutes in front of the Maracanazinho crowd. The Australian took all three quarters and closed with a clear 52-32 in the points count, silencing an arena that shortly before had welcomed the local favorite like a rock star.

Fonseca had reached the clash after beating Tallon Griekspoor, and the atmosphere for his Ultimate Tennis Showdown debut had been the hottest of the event. But on court it was no contest. "The crowd was on my side, actually," Kyrgios said after the match.

The real story out of Rio, though, carries another Brazilian name. Guto Miguel, 17 years old and ranked 824th, finished top of the group with a 2-0 record, beating Kyrgios himself 3-2 at Sudden Death and then Brandon Nakashima, again 3-2. A breakout that, with Fonseca's exit, shifted the Maracanazinho's affection onto him.

The kid from Goiânia is no ordinary name: a few weeks ago he became the first Brazilian ever to win the junior singles title at Roland Garros. "Tennis without emotion is not tennis. I'm enjoying it to the fullest," he said. In Rio, as the hyped star was cut down to size, another one lit up that Brazil had been waiting for a long time.