It will be an all-Italian affair when Paolo Lorenzi and Fabio Fognini square off in the Moscow second round on Wednesday. In Stockholm, meanwhile, Alexander Zverev and Adrian Mannarino are battling for a place in the quarterfinals.
Kremlin Cup: (7) Paolo Lorenzi vs. Fabio Fognini
Lorenzi and Fognini will be facing each other for the sixth time overall and for the fourth time at the ATP level when they clash in the Moscow second round on Wednesday. Fognini leads the head-to-head series 4-1, including 2-1 on the ATP Tour. The two Italians most recently collided earlier this season on the clay courts of Monte-Carlo, where Lorenzi prevailed 2-6, 6-0, 6-1. They had not met since 2013, when Fognini survived three-setters on the red clay of Oeiras and on the hard courts of Shanghai.
Surprisingly, it is Lorenzi who is the higher-ranked of the two players right now and in contention for a seed at the 2017 Australian Open. At 34 years old, he owns 24 of his his 70 career ATP-level match wins this season and he is up to 38th in the rankings. Lorenzi opened on Tuesday in Moscow with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of lucky loser Federico Gaio. Fognini punched his ticket to the last 16 by destroying Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-2. Still, the world No. 50 is just 23-20 for his 2016 campaign. The bottom line is that Lorenzi will simply want this one more, so he should be able to get the job done in a competitive contest.
Pick: Lorenzi in 3
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If Stockholm Open: (4) Alexander Zverev vs. Adrian Mannarino
After six meetings with Mischa Zverev, Mannarino will finally go up against the other Zverev brother on Wednesday in Stockholm. The 53rd-ranked Frenchman, who has faced Mischa four times already this season, earned a shot at Alexander by defeating Donald Young 7-5, 6-4 during first-round action on Monday. That improved Mannarino’s ATP-level record in 2016 to a winning 26-25.
Zverev is coming down the home stretch of what has been an outstanding season, as a 42-23 record has him up to a career-high ranking of 20th in the world. The 19-year-old German recently captured his first-ever ATP title on the indoor hard courts of St. Petersburg and he has won at least two matches at each of his three tournaments during this fall swing. Mannarino will make his opponent hit a lot of shots, but an in-form Zverev will likely keep his hot streak going by showcasing too much firepower.
Pick: Zverev in 2
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WWW?
Zverev and fog in two
Zverev in two.Lorenzi in three.
Fognini too unreliable to back.
Fog in 3 and Zverev in 2. Losing 7 games or fewer.
This is Sascha’s last week. Jez Green wants 2 months with him starting after Stockholm. the end of his 2016. No Paris or nothin’. Surprises me a little.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW4nY0zjV_s
that’s dumb
actually I shouldn’t say it’s dumb. But like you said, surprising.
He could’ve been top 16 seed heading into Melbourne if he had played rest of season. I get why but playing the rest of the year would’ve helped him too.