Oh, Fabio - Fognini again without drive
Actually, Fabio Fognini wanted to qualify for the first time for the ATP Finals in London. The first-round finish at the ATP Tour 250 tournament in Stockholm is a mystery once again.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Oct 18, 2019, 08:11 am
Of course, one should not forget that Janko Tipsarevic was a top ten player before his lengthy injury, so he knows how to win close matches. But there was not much mention in the round of sixteen of the ATP Tour 250 tournament in Stockholm: 6: 1 and 6: 1 the final result for the Serb against a Fabio Fognini, who once again shook his head in the stands. After all, Fognini had gone into the event as the top player.
If you look at the year of the Italian, probably the most successful of his career, then matches such as the one against Tipsarevic are like a red thread through the season. Starting in Auckland, where Philipp Kohlschreiber Fognini only four games left. Granted: In the round before, Fognini had to go against Peter Gojowczyk until the tiebreaker of the third set, serious fatigue symptoms could be claimed.
Fognini vs Nadal from the other star
After an average appearance at the Australian Open (third-round finish against Pablo Carreno Busta) was followed by a trip to South America with three defeats in a row. The next one followed in Indian Wells, in Miami Fognini could win after all a match. He then had little interest in Marrakech. But put in the week after the tournament victory in Monte Carlo his biggest career success. When defeating Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals Fabio showed up to 5-0 in the second set tennis from the other star. As it turns out, this is the last time this year.
He was really hurt only by the defeat against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the home tournament in Rome, against Alexander Zverev in the round of 16 by Roland Garros, Fognini was once again the great man of sorrows, but he almost made it to a fifth set.
Jump-start for Jack Sock
The highlight of the summer was the set win against Nadal in Montreál, the appearance against Reilly Opelka in the US was then again the strike: the Americans served indeed formidable, Dominik Koepfer showed in the round after that, however, that Opelka cooks only with water , With lukewarm. Maybe a few weeks later it was the nervousness that made Fabio's hand difficult at the Laver Cup. Jack Sock liked the victory in the singles.
In Asia, something like inspiration suddenly came into play again in the short term: quarter-finals in Beijing against Khachanov, against whom he won a week later in Shanghai. Losing money against Danill Medvedev is no shame these days. The result in Stockholm against Tipsarevic somehow already.
And so will probably another Italian to go to London: Matteo Berrettini, who although not playing consistently strong, but has already set enough highlights in the current season. The next compatriot is already in the starting blocks with Jannik Sinner. The amazing 18-year-old has won Antwerp very smoothly against Gael Monfils. The latter one of the few players who can match the moodiness of Fabio Fognini.