PARIS: The talk around Roland Garros has been dominated by the next generation, a wave of teenagers drawing comparisons to the spring of 2006, when a trio of young stars staked their claim on the clay. On Friday evening, as the light softened over Court Philippe-Chatrier, Novak Djokovic — one of that original trio, now 39 and the owner of 24 Grand Slam titles — was pipped at the finish line by the gifted Brazilian teen Joao Fonseca.In 2006, it was Rafael Nadal, coming in as defending champion, and Gael Monfils, the athletic Frenchman, who thrilled the home crowd by making the fourth round, that completed the threesome. This year, it was the impressive 19-year-old Fonseca, the 28th seed, who led the charge of the teen brigade. On Friday, the Brazilian stood opposite the Serbian superstar, who was bidding to become the first player to win 25 Grand Slam titles and the first man to win at least four titles at all four Grand Slam events.Djokovic, making his 22nd straight appearance at Roland Garros, has advanced to the quarter-finals or better every year since 2010. The third seed, some two decades older than his opponent, and playing only his fourth tournament of the year, gasped for air, and stretched his body at every opportunity. He hung by a thread in the latter part of the encounter, not so much on the scoreboard, but physically, his bruised and taped together body.Fonseca, who started slowly, trailing 1-5 in the first set, wasted no time in turning to the crowd and inviting them to be a part of the contest, but when it mattered he put his head down and went about his job like a seasoned pro.Djokovic struck first in the decider, to take a 3-1 lead, Fonseca levelled and thereafter it was a spectacular highway chase, a contest between resolve and range, until the teenager broke in the 11th game. Then after four-hours and 54-minutes Fonseca claimed a 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 win.Fonseca, whose ability to play from anywhere on the court on virtually any surface, has drawn comparison to his idol Roger Federer, motored long and hard. He used the dimensions of the rectangle, playing with over and underspin, keeping his shots flat and giving it air, but up against the will of the mighty Djokovic, who has dwarfed men and mountains, he battled to stay afloat.Fonseca’s rise through the ranks has brought something tennis hasn’t seen in a while, a clearly visible travelling national crowd. Sometimes the canary yellow in the stands is scattered like on Friday, still a sizable Brazilian “away support” that seems to follow him across continents. Brazilian fans don’t just attend his matches, they occupy sections of the stadium, turning parts of Roland Garros into a temporary Rio-style terrace, where they get on their feet at every opportunity to sing “Fonsayyycccaaa, Joooaaaooo... as if it were their anthem.YUKI-MICHAEL PAIR KNOCKED OUT IN RD 2India’s Yuki Bhambri and New Zealand’s Michael Venus went down to the fifth-seeded Italian pair of Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli 3-6, 4-6 in 78 minutes in the second round of the French Open men’s doubles.In the mixed doubles, Bhambri and Russia’s Alexandra Panova will play the fourth seeds Briton Skupski and American Desirae Krawczyk in the second round.