Fabio Fognini came back from one set down to beat Pablo Andujar 3-6 6-3 6-3 reaching the second round at the BNP Paribas Open.
Fognini made history, as he overtook Adriano Panatta for the most wins by an Italian male player with 392 victories.
Fognini has won nine ATP Tour titles, including the ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo and reached his career-high of world number 9.
Fognini earned an early break in the first game of the opening set, but he wasted four break points in the fifth game. Andujar broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Andujar earned his second break in the eighth game and sealed the first set 6-3 on his second set point after 53 minutes.
Fognini went up a break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. The Italian player saved two break points from 15-40 down to hold serve in the fifth game for 4-1 and won his next service games to seal the second set 6-3 despite two double faults in the ninth game.
Fognini earned a break in the fifth game at deuce to take a 3-2 lead after four consecutive errors from Andujar. The Italian veteran player closed out the match with a break in the ninth game after two double faults from Andujar.
“It’s nice for sure. I didn’t know before the match, believe me. They are just statistics, but of course I am happy. Now they compare me to the big ones. Adriano was an idol when I was young, so I am really happy. It’s not the end. I will continue fighting and let’s see what happens. If I have to be honest, I did not really expect to accomplish all the results I have. If I am looking back at my career, I did something great. Probably in the past two months, especially after Australia I started enjoying a little more my tennis,, even if it’s difficult travelling without my family. This job is not going to go forever, so I am trying to enjoy my last years of competition and we will see. At the moment I am happy for sure”, said Fognini.
Fognini set up a second round match against Nikoloz Basilashvili, who finished runner-up to Cameron Norrie in last year’s edition of the BNP Paribas in Indian Wells. Fognini is returning to his best form after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on both his ankles in May 2020.
“It was not easy because the conditions were not great. It’s windy. It’s cold. It changes constantly. I am happy the way I am fighting and of course that at the end I won my match”, said Fognini.
Italian Next Gen star Lorenzo Musetti beat Marcos Giron 6-3 7-5 after 1 hour and 40 minutes setting up a second round match against Reilly Opelka. Musetti reached two quarter finals this year in Rotterdam and Pune.
Musetti earned the decisive break in the second game at 30 to take a 2-0 lead and dropped just four points in his next four service games to seal the first set 6-3.
Giron saved three break points to hold serve in the first game of the second set. The US player earned a break in the sixth game to open up a 5-2 lead. The young Italian player rallied from 15-30 down to break serve in the ninth game for 5-4 and converted his sixth break point in the 11th game before winning his fifth consecutive game from 2-5 down to seal the second set 7-5. Musetti hit 19 winners to 21 unforced errors and won 79% of his first serve points.
