Fabio Fognini came back from two sets down to battle past Guido Pella 2-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 after 4 hours and 15 minutes securing Italy the spot in the quarter final of the BPN Paribas Davis Cup World Group against defending champions from Argentina after a dramatic weekend at the Parque Sarmiento in Buenos Aires. Carlos Berloq beat Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi after a dramatic five-set match 4-6 6-4 6-1 3-6 6-3 to draw Argentina to 2-2 in the Davis Cup World Group first round clash on a rainy Sunday at Parque Sarmiento in Buenos Aires. The match resumed on Monday with the decisive fifth rubber between Guido Pella and Fabio Fognini after fading light brought an end to the Sunday programme on Sunday.
Argentina was on the brink of defeat after losing the first two singles matches on Friday. Few Argentine fans would have expected a fightback from the home team at the end of the first day.
Argentina kept their hopes alive on Saturday when Carlos Berloq and Leonardo Mayer won a thrilling five-set doubles mach over former Australian Open doubles champions Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli by 6-3 6-3 4-6 2-6 7-6 (9-7).
“We gave away two sets. We didn’t play our best tennis, even so we fought every point and we had a match point, that’s the point”, said Fognini.
Berloq and Mayer looked to be in control after cruising through to a 2-0 lead in the first two sets. Bolelli and Fognini fought back by winning the third and fought sets forcing the match to the decisive fifth set. Mayer hit a cross-court forehand to seal the win for the home team in the tie-break.
Argentina broke serve in the eighth game of the first set and in the fifth and ninth games of the second set to take a 2-0 lead. Fognini and Bolelli broke serve in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead. The Italian players converted on two break point chances to force the match to the decisive fifth set.
Fognini and Bolelli saved a match point in the 12th game to force the decider to the tie-break. Berloq and Mayer earned four match points but the Italians saved them and even created one match point. Argentina fended it off with a volley winner before earning another match point. Berloq finally converted it with a forehand.
“The fight and the love they put on the court was exciting. I even dropped a couple of tears. We gave ourselves a good taste to be able to give ourselves and our people this victory”, said Argentina’s Davis Cup captain Daniel Orsanic.
On Sunday Berloq claimed another dramatic five-set win over Paolo Lorenzi on a rain-soaked Sunday after 4 hours and 14 minutes.
In the first set Berloq and Fognini traded breaks to draw level to 4-4. The match was delayed after just 37 minutes due to rain and resumed two hours and a half hours later. Lorenzi broke immediately to clinch the first set. Berloq fought back getting the break in the ninth game to clinch the second set. The Argentine player turned around the match and cruised through to a 6-1 win in the third set to take a 2-1 lead on sets. Lorenzi recovered in the fourth set by breaking in the fourth game of the fourth set before the match was interrupted again by rain. As the match resumed, Lorenzi wrapped up the fourth set 6-3 to force the match to the decider.
Berloq broke serve in the fourth set to open up a 3-1 lead. The Argentine fended off two break points in the ninth game en route to closing out the fifth set 6-3.
Orsanic praised Berloq after the match.
“Every time one sees that a player has such a committment, such delivery, it’s beautiful to see, it’s to enjoy. It is not only attitude and delivery. It is also necessary to accompany it with good tennis. The support we had from the people was once again exciting. An incredible support, which energized Berlocq”, said Orsanic.
The clash came down to a dramitic five-set decider between World Number 45 Fognini and World Number 80 Pella held on a sunny Monday. Fognini made two consecutive double faults at 30-30 and dropped his serve in the first game of the opening set. Pella went up a double break to 30 to open up a 3-0 lead. Fognini did not convert four break points in the fourth game, as Pella held his serve to race out to 4-0.
At 1-5 Fognini fended off two set points to hold his serve. Pella served out for the first set to love, as Fognini made a forehand unforced error on the set point. Fognini made 24 unforced errors and three double faults in the first set.
Fognini got his first break of the match in the fourth game of the second set. At 3-1 Fognini made a forehand unforced error at 30-30 before Pella got the break back. At 3-3 Fognini made four unforced errors (including two double faults on the first point and on the first break point) and dropped his serve to 30. At 4-3 Pella fended off two more break points to hold his serve.
As Pella served for the second set at 5-4, he took advantage of a backhand error from Fognini before hitting an ace on the set point to seal the second set 6-4.
Fognini saved three break points at 1-1 in the third game. He saved another break point at 2-2. As Fognini was leading 4-3, he converted his sixth break point with a drop shot on the break point. In the next game he held his serve to love and sealed the third set 6-3 with an ace on the set point.
In the second game of the fourth set Fognini saved two break points from 15-40 before breaking serve to 15. At 3-1 he missed a point for the double break. In the next game he saved three break back points at 3-2 and managed to hold his serve. As the Italian star served for the set in the 10th game at 5-4, he held his serve to 30, as Pella committed a backhand unforced error on the set point.
Fognini missed two break points in the first game of the fifth set before breaking serve to 15 at 2-2, as Pella sent his forehand long on the break point. At 3-2 Fognini saved a break point with a smash before holding his serve with an ace for 4-2.
Fognini got the double break at deuce, as Pella hit a shot into the net. Fognini held his serve to 15 at 5-2 to complete his come-back win on the first of two match points despite the strong support of the partisan Argentine fans. Former football star Diego Maradona was among the 7000 home fans.
It’s the tenth time that the defending champions have lost in the first round since the Challenge Round was abolished in 1972.
“I am happy because I put everything I had. I played very badly at the beginning. I waited until the end to find my game, and now I feel great joy for this triumph. I waited until the end to find my game and now I feel great joy for this triumph”, said Fognini.
Italy will take on 2015 finalist from Belgium in the quarter finals next April.