Fabian Maroszan beat Joao Fonseca 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to reach the second round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia at the Foro Italico in Rome two years after beating Carlos Alcaraz as a qualifier en route to the fourth round in 2023.
Maroszan won 17 points more than Fonseca ad saved three of the four break points he faced. The Hungarian player hit 19 winners and 27 unforced errors.
Fonseca faced only three break points but he dropped his serve twice. The Brazilian player made 18 winners and 38 unforced errors.
Maroszan held serve at love with a forehand winner in the third game before earning a break point in the fourth game to open up a 3-1 lead, when Fonseca hit a forehand long. Maroszan consolidated the break by holding serve at love with a service winner in the fifth game to open up a 4-1 lead. Both players held on serve in the their next service games. Maroszan served for the first set at 5-3 and closed out the first set with an ace after 28 minutes.
Fonseca faced break points in the third game of the second set when he made a forehand error. Maroszan converted his first break point with a volley winner at the net. Maroszan held at love in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Fonseca broke back in the sixth game as Maroszan made a double fault. Maroszan held serve to take a 4-3 lead and earned a break point in the eighth game. Maroszan fended off three break points before holding serve in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Fonseca faced a break point at 5-5 and saved it with a forehand winner. The second set was decided by a tie-break. Fonseca took a 2-1 lead in the tie-break before hitting a double fault in the fourth game. Maroszan took a 3-2 lead when Fonseca made a double fault in the fifth game. Maroszan hit a service winner to open up a 5-2 lead and earned three match point when Fonseca made a volley winner. Maroszan converted his second break point with a service winner.
Roberto Bautista Agut hit 20 winners in his 6-4 6-3 win over Matteo Arnaldi in 1 hour and 54 minutes. The former top ten player set up a second round match against Tommy Paul. Four of the first five games went to deuce. Bautista Agut broke serve at love in the sixth game to a take a 4-2 lead. Arnaldi broke back in the ninth game to reduce the deficit to 4-5 but Bautista Agut wrapped up the first set 6-4 with a second break.
Bautista Agut broke twice in the second and sixth game to take a 5-1 lead. Arnaldi saved two match points in the seventh game before pulling one break back in the seventh game. Bautista Agut served out the win on his third match point.
