João Fonseca opened his UTS Rio campaign with a 3-1 victory over Tallon Griekspoor on Friday, according to TenisBrasil. Hours later, the Brazilian faced Nick Kyrgios in the quarterfinals and was defeated 16-11, 17-10, 19-11.

The loss eliminated Fonseca from semifinal contention at the exhibition event. After the match, the 18-year-old acknowledged the Australian’s performance, stating simply that Kyrgios “played better,” TenisBrasil reported.

Kyrgios, who had praised Fonseca’s potential ahead of their encounter, also engaged with the Rio crowd following his victory. The UTS is an exhibition tennis league co-founded by Patrick Mouratoglou.