Fabio Fognini responded to every challenge thrown his way Saturday evening in Melbourne to give Italy a 1-0 lead in its ATP Cup semi-final against Spain.
Fognini clawed past Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 in a roller coaster battle that lasted two hours and 21 minutes. The Spaniard had won their seven previous ATP Head2Head meetings.
"I'm happy because of course this week I started slowly and I'm getting better and better," Fognini said on court. "The sensations are good."
Italian No. 1 Matteo Berrettini will have a chance to send his country to the ATP Cup final when he plays Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. Berrettini has won three of their four clashes, with each of his three victories coming in straight sets.
[WATCH LIVE 1]
After getting broken in the first game of the match, Fognini appeared concerned as he had the trainer visit to re-wrap his left ankle. But while the number seven was a bad omen for the Italian against Carreno Busta entering their No. 2 singles match, it proved a lucky number for Fognini at Melbourne Park.
The World No. 17 won seven seven consecutive games to seemingly take control of the match. Fognini was playing with controlled aggression, while the always steady Carreno Busta was making uncharacteristic unforced errors.
However, the rain threw a wrench in Fognini’s plans. At 1-0 in the second set, a delay of about 30 minutes changed the momentum. The players switched roles upon the resumption of play, with Carreno Busta back to his steady self and Fognini misfiring.
"I was playing really good tennis in the first set and then thats when we closed the roof. But I think I played three, four games in the second set really, really tight," Fognini said. "I was feeling really great even if I was losing those games. In the third set I think I played good tennis again."
With national pride on the line, the Italian maintained his composure and found his game early in the deciding set. He began showing the jaw-dropping shotmaking that helped him crack the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2019. But Carreno Busta, who was advised by captain Pepe Vendrell, coach Samuel Lopez and World No. 2 Rafael Nadal in Spain’s Team Zone, rallied from a double-break down in the third set to get within two points of getting back on serve.
While the Spaniard saved three match points on his serve, he was unable to hold off Fognini. The Italian's firepower proved decisive, and he finished off his victory with a perfect backhand drop volley. Fognini began his week with a straight-sets loss against World No. 100 Dennis Novak of Austria, but he has found his rhythm at Melbourne Park.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3p2iOhP
No comments:
Post a Comment