Fognini, still too strong for Van Assche!

For the second time in less than a month, Luca Van Assche was soundly beaten by Italian veteran Fabio Fognini.

Already beaten in the first round of Wimbledon (6-1, 6-3, 7-5), the Frenchman was not much more successful on clay, losing in the first round of the Umag tournament on Tuesday (6-4, 6-3). Without necessarily playing badly, the 20-year-old was once again outplayed by a much more experienced opponent.

For Fognini, the good run continues as this result marks his 5th win in 7 matches. Ranked 94th at the beginning of July, he is now 70th in the world and, at 37, seems to be giving a second wind to the end of his career.