Fabio Fognini edged fellow 35-year-old Andy Murray in a virtually three-hour battle within the opening spherical of the Italian Open on Wednesday.
Given a wild card entry after a month out with an injured foot, Fognini hit greater than twice as many winners as Murray (49-24) in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win on Campo Centrale.
ALSO READ| UCL, Semi-final: Inter Milan Take Massive Advantage With 2-0 Win Over AC Milan in First Leg
Murray was coming off his first title in three years after he received an ATP Challenger occasion in southern France over the weekend for his first event victory since 2019 — and first on clay since 2016.
But Fognini’s artful shot-making proved the distinction because the Italian produced a sequence of drop-shot winners that had been so efficient Murray didn’t even try to run them down.
Murray was additionally left fuming after protesting a linesman’s name late within the first set, which gave Fognini a 5-3 benefit. Murray pointed to the mark on the pink clay and advised the chair umpire that it was clearly out.
“How can you see that ball from there being in? How is it possible?” Murray mentioned. “You know you got that wrong.”
After the match was over, Murray had extra phrases for the chair umpire, whereas Fognini wrote on a digital camera lens, “It’s not over.”
“I still like playing these types of matches,” mentioned Fognini, who improved to 5-4 in his profession in opposition to Murray, the 2016 champion in Rome.
Another veteran who superior earlier was Stan Wawrinka, who wasted little time securing a 6-2, 6-4 win over Ilya Ivashka after the beginning of play was delayed for 90 minutes attributable to rain.
At age 38, Wawrinka is the oldest man within the event however he dominated Ivashka by additionally hitting greater than twice as many winners as his opponent to shut it out in little greater than an hour.
“This year I am playing much better, but I need to win more matches. That is what I am missing a bit, the confidence to win more matches,” mentioned Wawrinka, who had two surgical procedures on his left foot in 2021 and two operations on his left knee in 2017. “But in general the level is great.”
Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, subsequent faces Twenty sixth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, with the winner doubtlessly assembly top-ranked Novak Djokovic within the third spherical.
“My dream is to win another trophy, another tournament,” Wawrinka said. “Of course, I’m getting older, it’s getting more and more difficult. The passion and the love for the sport is still there; that’s why I keep pushing myself.”
Djokovic, who has a first-round bye, will open against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who advanced with a 7-6 (7), 6-3 win over 18-year-old Luca Van Assche, the youngest player in the top 100 of the rankings at No. 85.
Etcheverry reached clay finals in Santiago, Chile, and Houston earlier this year.
Also advancing on the red clay of the Foro Italico were Alexander Bublik, Cristian Garin, Marton Fucsovics and Sebastian Baez.
Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis was main Jaume Munar 4-2 within the first set when his Spanish opponent retired attributable to decrease again ache.
Kokkinakis will next face local favourite Jannik Sinner.
Arthur Fils, another rising 18-year-old French player, beat fellow qualifier Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 for his first Masters 1000 victory, setting up a meeting with Holger Rune.
Wu Yibing of China rallied past French veteran Richard Gasquet 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 for his first tour win on clay.
In women’s action, Lesia Tsurenko eliminated two-time champion Elina Svitolina in an all-Ukrainian matchup.
Sloane Stephens beat Nadia Podoroska 6-4, 6-1 and next meets 14th-seeded Victoria Azarenka.
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed)
