Timeless, Fognini topples Evans in Rome!

At the age of 36, Fabio Fognini continues to inspire his fans. He may no longer be the leader of an Italian tennis scene that has lost its way, but the San Remo native continues to hold a special place in the hearts of fans of the little yellow ball. Up against a somewhat moribund Dan Evans, the former world no. 9 put his immense talent to good use to win, at the end of the Roman night (6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in 2h32).

Some love him, others hate him, but the Italian leaves no one indifferent. Carried along by an arm as marvellous as ever, it was almost by walking that he qualified for the second round, to the cheers of an entire stadium. With a killer long backhand, the 2019 Monte Carlo champion finally sent Evans to the mat. Buoyed by an indefatigable crowd (the "Fabio, Fabio" never stopped ringing out), he was able to take a deep breath. As enterprising as ever (41 winning shots), he finally got the better of an opponent who was much fresher physically, but far too feverish.

If some still had doubts, 'Fogna' feels right at home and has come to Rome to make his fans dream once again. The Italian, far less successful than in his heyday, has lost none of his talent and enjoys massive popular support. With the withdrawal of Berrettini and Sinner, Fabio finds himself in a situation he has often experienced: he is one of the last hopes for the Italian camp.

In the next round, he faces a very tough opponent in the shape of Taylor Fritz (13th in the world, semi-finalist in Madrid). The match, scheduled for this Friday (on the same court), promises to be electric. Although heavily favored, the American has every reason to be well prepared. In his first match, he'll be up against an overexcited and highly fanciful player who will enjoy obvious popular support. Loud cheers, incessant whistling, altercations with the referees and so on, Fabio and Rome are likely to give the world's 13th-ranked player quite a welcome. In a match that has everything to become hellish, the American is in for one hell of a fiery ordeal and will surely have to keep his nerves in check. Unless he can cool the stadium down by dominating the proceedings too much...