This year’s Monte-Carlo champion Fabio Fognini beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 6-4 after 1 hour and 24 minutes to advance to the second round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia at the Foro Italico in Rome.
Fognini earned the first break in the fourth game with a down-line backhand. Tsonga earned two break-back points in the next game, but Fognini saved them with his serve to open up a 4-1 lead. Tsonga fended off three set points in the eighth game. In the ninth game Fognini saved a break point with a backhand error from Tsonga and closed out the opening set 6-3 on his sixth set point.
Fognini got an early break at the start of the second set with a forehand passing shot on the break point. The world number 12 player went up a double break to race out to a 4-1 lead. Tsonga pulled one of the two breaks back in the seventh game for 3-4. Fognini held on his service games to close out the second set 6-4 securing his spot in the second round, where he will face either Radu Albot or Benoit Paire.
“To play the first round against Jo. It was a realy tough match, because he was injured. He had surgery on the knee. He tried to recover his best performance, but at the same time I knew that it could be really dangerous. I am happy because especially for me here, it’s always tough to play. I am happy with my performance, happy to be again and I am happy to be again in the second second round in Rome”,said Fognini.
Denis Shapovalov beat Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3 7-6 after 1 hour and 35 minutes ending his losing streak that lasted since Miami. Shapovalov avenged his defeat agaainst Carreno Busta, who beat the Canadian player at the 2017 US Open.
Shapovalov converted just one of his twelve break points and never faced a break point.
Carreno Busta fended off two break points in the second game before Shapovalov eraned his only break with a forehand crosscourt winner in the fourth game to open up a 3-1 lead. Shapovalov sealed the first set 6-3 with a service winner in the ninth game.
Shapovalov earned eighth break point chances, but Carreno Busta saved them. Both players held on their service games setting up a tie-break. Shapovalov fought back from 4-5 down by winning three points to clinch the second set. The Canadian Nex Gen player closed out the match after a backhand error from Carreno Busta at 6-5.
Marco Cecchinato fought back from one set down to beat Alex De Minaur 4-6 6-3 6-1 after 2 hours and 12 minutes booking his spot in the second round where he will face world number 56 Phillip Kohlschreiber. Both players traded breaks in the second and third games. De Minaur got his second break in the seventh game and saved a total of four break points in the eighth and tenth games to close out the first set 6-4.De Minaur went up am early break, but Cecchinato broke straight back in the second game.
The Italian player got his second break in the sixth game to seal the second set 6-3. After a trade of breaks in the first and second game Cecchinato broke twice to open up a 4-1 lead. He held on his service games to cruise to winning the decider 6-1
Karen Khachanov battled past Lorenzo Sonego 6-3 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 after 2 hours and 25 minutes to score his ninth win this season. Khachanov broke twice in the second and sixth game and saved a break point in the ninth game, while he was serving for the match.
Albert Ramos Vinolas converted all his four break points in his 6-3 6-1 win over Gael Monfils securing his spot in the second round where he will face either Diego Schwartzman or Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka.
