Photo by Carine06, CC BY-SA 2.0
Caption: A younger Fognini owning yet another clay court
There are few more enjoyable tennis players to watch than 31-year-old Italian enigma, Fabio Fognini. The Sanremo-born right-hander has always been an entertainer, but very rarely has he managed to combine excitement and consistency in one winning package on-court. However, 2019 looks set to be the year that all of those tools come together for Fognini. If you are a tennis bettor that looks at in-form players for value in the tennis markets, there are few in better fettle than Fognini right now.
Fognini, who freely admits that clay courts are his specialism, recently stunned the “King of Clay” himself, Rafael Nadal, to reach the Monte-Carlo Masters final. It was Nadal’s first loss in the Principality since 2015, with Fognini making it all look very easy in a 6-4 6-2 straight sets victory. Fognini handled the gusty weather conditions far better than Nadal – another sign of his improved focus and temperament as a player. In years gone by, Fognini would have failed to follow up a headline victory over a top seed, but he showed tremendous consistency to see out unseeded Dusan Lajovic in the final and claim his first ATP Masters 1000 title.
Can Fognini follow up his Monte Carlo success in Rome?
Photo by Carine06, CC BY-SA 2.0
Caption: Fognini overcame France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga with ease in Rome
Just a fortnight after becoming the first Italian to win an ATP Masters 1000 trophy, Fognini has started to make strides in the Rome Masters too. He knows full well that he could crack the top ten of the ATP world rankings with another solid showing in front of his home crowd. Fognini was tipped by the tennis pundits to win in straight sets in his first round match against an injury-hit Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the Italian didn’t disappoint in front of his adoring fans. His Indian summer could well continue given his favourable last-32 showdown with Romanian, Radu Albot.
If Fognini can progress to the semi-finals of the competition and secure a place in the ATP top ten for the first time in his career, the Italian would become the oldest player to do so since 38-year-old Ken Rosewall and 35-year-old Rod Laver in August 1973. Fognini’s compatriot, Corrado Barazzutti was the last Italian to be ranked in the ATP top ten, reaching a career high of seven in January 1979. Fognini will certainly have one eye on the form of Argentine, Juan Martin Del Potro, who is currently world number nine and still recovering from a serious knee injury sustained last autumn.
Fognini’s form will open the field at the 2019 French Open
With surface stats always worth consideration at the Grand Slams, Fognini’s recent form means that it is set up very nicely for the upcoming 2019 French Open at Roland Garros. Although there are several players that are likely to be higher-rated than Fognini to win in Paris, the Italian’s recent form means that he is sure to be a great value each-way price. Nadal’s loss in Monte-Carlo proves that the Spaniard is by no means untouchable. You also have to factor in the presence of the great Roger Federer, who last won the French Open a decade ago and is desperate to win it one more time before his retirement.
Unfortunately, the older Federer and Nadal get, the greater the chance of a younger, fitter upstart coming through and taking the crown instead. Austria’s number-one tennis hopeful, Dominic Thiem reached the 2018 French Open final, eventually inched out by Nadal in a tense encounter. Thiem’s attributes serve him very well on clay – he is extremely mobile, plays with a lot of spin. If Nadal and the current world number one, Novak Djokovic, come into the French Open in anything less than 100% condition, the likes of Thiem will be waiting in the wings to strike.
As for Fognini, continued good form in the Rome Masters and leading up to Roland Garros should cement a decent seeding for the Italian in Paris. If he can get a top-ten seeding, there is every chance he can push for a spot in the quarters in the current form he is in. He’ll no doubt have his fingers crossed that the tournament’s organisers manage to keep him apart from the likes of Nadal and Djokovic until the latter stages.
