Fabio Fognini edged past 23-year-old Spanish qualifier Carlos Taberner 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 6-3 to reach the second round at the Madrid Mutua Open.
Fognini converted his second break point in the first game of the opening set and earned two break points for 3-0, but Taberner saved them to hold serve at deuce before breaking back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Fognini broke serve for the second time to take a 3-2 lead. Fognini faced three break-back points, as she was serving for the first set. Taberner converted her third break-back point to draw level to 5-5.
Fognini earned a mini-break to take a 3-1 led. Taberner pulled it back on serve to draw level to 4-4, but Fognini won the final three points with a mini-break to claim the tie-break 7-4.
Fognini received a medical time-out due to a back problem. Taberner went up a double break in the first and seventh games to win the second set 6-2.
Taberner went up a 40-30 lead in the second game of the third set, but she made two double faults to drop serve. The Spanish player, who beat Lorenzo Musetti in the qualifying round, broke back at love in the third game. Fognini converted his third break point at deuce in the fourth game and held his next three service games to win the third set 6-3. Fognini set up an all-Italian second round round match against his compatriot Matteo Berrettini, who won the Serbian Open in Belgrade beating Aslan Karatsev at the end of April.
