Fognini Finds Winning Formula In Buenos Aires
Fabio Fognini reached the quarter-finals at a tour-level event for the first time since April on Thursday, overcoming Pedro Martinez 6-4, 7-6(5) at the Argentina Open.
The Italian advanced to the final at the ATP 250 event in 2014 and set the wheels in motion for another deep run this week against the Spaniard.
[FOLLOW ACTION]The fourth seed struck the ball with great depth as he outmanoeuvred Martinez with his heavy topspin groundstrokes to advance after two hours and five minutes.
In a hard-fought match, Fognini rallied from a break down in the first set and recovered from squandering a match point on Martinez’s serve at 4-5, 30/40 in the second set to eventually triumph in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.
Fognini is making his 13th appearance in Buenos Aires and will next face the 36-year-old Pablo Andujar or sixth-seeded Argentine Federico Delbonis. The last time Fognini reached the quarter-finals at a tour-level event was also on clay at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters 10 months ago.