Fabio Fognini will be right back in action after finishing runner-up in Munich when he takes the court on Tuesday in Madrid against Alexandr Dolgopolov. Ernests Gulbis and Jerzy Janowicz are also bidding for a spot in the second round.
(13) Fabio Fognini vs. Alexandr Dolgopolov
Fognini and Dolgopolov will be doing battle for the fifth time in their careers at the ATP level when they clash in round one of the Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday. Dolgopolov has won all four of those previous encounters, including two this season. The Ukrainian dominated 6-1, 6-1 on the clay courts of Rio de Janeiro and scored a 6-2, 6-4 victory at the Indian Wells Masters. He also won 6-2, 6-4 at the 2012 clay-court event in Munich. Fognini has at least beat his opponent once before, having won 7-5, 6-3 at a clay-court Challenger tournament back in 2007.
Dolgopolov’s solid 19-11 record this year is highlighted by a third-round Indian Wells upset of Rafael Nadal. The world No. 22 went on to reach the semifinals and also the quarters in Miami, but he is a modest 1-2 during the current red-dirt swing. Fognini is coming off a runner-up showing last week in Munich, where he had a meltdown in Sunday’s title match against Martin Klizan. The 15th-ranked Italian is 26-9 for his 2014 campaign, with two runner-ups and a title in Vina del Mar. Players rarely get more unpredictable than Fognini and Dolgopolov, but Dolgopolov may have an edge being more well-rested and based on his past success in this matchup.
Pick: Dolgopolov in 3
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Ernests Gulbis vs. Jerzy Janowicz
Janowicz went into 2014 with a foot injury and he has not been able to get on track. The world No. 21–still ranked that high because of Wimbledon semifinal points from last summer–has been especially ice cold since mid-February. In fact, he has not won a match since beating Tommy Haas in the Rotterdam second round. Janowicz lost openers in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Barcelona while winning only a single set in the process. He also dropped two lower-level Davis Cup singles rubbers against Croatia (although one was a five-setter versus Marin Cilic).
Janowicz will look to stop the slide in his Madrid opener with Gulbis, against whom the Pole is 2-1 lifetime at the ATP level and 3-2 overall. They have faced each other only once on clay, when Janowicz pocketed a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 win at a 2012 Challenger event in Rome. They most recently squared off last fall on the indoor hard courts of Stockholm, where Gulbis advanced to the semifinals via a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 decision. The 20th-ranked Latvian is a stellar 18-8 for the year, which includes a title in Marseille, a quarterfinal finish in Indian Wells, and a recent semifinal performance in Barcelona. With a massive edge in current form and confidence, this should be one-way traffic for Gulbis.
Pick: Gulbis in 2
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Leo and Lenny!
I doubt Fed will play Rome, it’s too soon to leave the family to go on tour.
Planned timing I’m sure. Slotted in before RG.
At least one of them should have been called Roger. I bet Nole calls his son Novak [Djokovic].
Has WaWa always twizzled his racquet à lå Fed while waiting to receive serve?
So it was twins after all. Boys this time.
#TwoForThePriceOfOneAgain
Timing seems awfully suspicious to me….bet Mirka was induced to avoid clashing with Wimbledon……
Snap! He might skip RG but he would be loath to give up the chance of another tilt at a Wimbledon crown.
…and of course his friends at the AELTC will give him a cushy draw and scheduling as a Pappy’s present……….
Dominic Thiem broke. He leads 2-0 in the second set!
He seems to have loosened up some……
3-0 to Thiem Dominic!
Ovations from the crowd!
^^^^Bless his little cotton socks. He’s consolidated the break. You’re right, he has got over his stage fright.
Maybe Wawa’s heard the news…..and his level’s dropped out of disappointment. Thought twins shoulda been named Roger and Stan…………….
#FutureDubsGoldMedallists
4-1 to Dominic!!!
This has turned out to be a really good match. Thiem is giving a good account of himself.
They don’t do things by half, do they the Federers?
RT @svenja_mastro: “Lynette and Robbie Federer are now grand parents to 3 twins, Roger’s sister Diana also has twins #itsinthegenes”
Its raining babies!
I hope Thiem keeps the momentum going, I’m enjoying it.
5-2 to Dominic! Woohoo!!!
I don’t expect Young Dom to win, will be happy with him just bringing Stan a wee bit down to earth……………starting to annoy me with his cocky attitude…..
2nd set to Dominic 6-2! Woooohooo!
Young Dom’s cooking! Takes the 2nd set 6-2
Vamos!!
That was some performance from young Thiem. He’s got WaWa worried now.
Stan’s FH beginning to look like the old FH…………dripping errors.
Keep it up,Dom.