Fabio Fognini during a Rogers Cup game (Getty)
Italian veteran Fabio Fognini will face Australia’s Jason Kubler in the second round of the French Open
Italy’s Fabio Fognini has already hinted that this could be his last professional season and the veteran would definitely love to cap it off with a memorable outing at the Roland Garros. He has been very impressive so far in Paris and began his campaign with a commendable victory against No.10 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The 36-year-old pulled off a major upset, beating the much fancied Canadian in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. Fognini has invaluable experience of playing at the elite level and there is no doubt that he can progress deep into the tournament if he plays at his best.
Jason Kubler is known more as a doubles specialist but the Australian has been pretty impressive in singles so far this season. Kubler stole the limelight earlier this year at the Australian Open when he won the Grand Slam doubles title partnering Rinky Hijikata. When it comes to singles, Kubler’s best performance so far this season came at the ATP Houston Open, where he reached the quarter-finals but eventually lost to No.1 seed Frances Tiafoe.
Kubler has started his campaign in Paris with a thrilling win over Facundo Diaz Acosta in five sets. The Australian showed immense determination and grit to come back from a set down to clinch victory in a marathon encounter that lasted more than four hours. The job only gets tougher from here on though and it remains to be seen how far Kubler can progress in the tournament.
Details:
Date – Wednesday, 31st May
Court Type – Clay outdoor surface
Telecast – Tennis Channel
Start Time – 02:30 pm IST
Location – Paris
Match details – Second Round
Fognini and Kubler have never played each other before on the ATP tour. This is the first professional head to head clash between the two players. On paper, Fognini is the slight favourite both in terms of experience and rankings. However, one can certainly not rule out the promising Australian and he is expected to put up a tough fight. We are predicting a close match but Fabio Fognini should prevail in four sets.
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