Fabio Fognini, Filippo Volandri through to the second round – XVI Open Barletta 2012 CH
Fabio Fognini defeats Filip Krajinovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
Top seed, Fabio Fognini of Italy, scored a tough victory over Serbian, Filip Krajinovic, in the first round at the XVI Open Barletta on Tuesday. The Italian came back from a set down to beat the 1104th ranked 2-6, 6-2,
6-4 in an hour and 50 minutes.
Krajinovic was first to take lead, as he snatched breaks in the third and fifth game, consolidating on them to move ahead 5-1. The Serbian made the most of this advantage and sealed it 6-2.
Fognini, who received a wild card entry into the event, raised the standard of his game and looked a much improved player in the second set. The Italian struck twice in the first five games and did not lose his serve even once,
building a 5-0 lead. Fognini served it out at 5-1.
Krajinovic and Fognini swapped a number of blows in the decider, as they broke each other in seven of the total games. However, it was Fognini who prevailed in the end, closing the final set 6-4.
The Italian delivered 74 percent of the first serves, claiming 37 of the 64 points on them. Fognini saved 16 of the 22 break points he faced and converted seven of the 20 he faced in the match.
The 24-year-old is slated to face Matwe Middelkoop of the Netherlands in the second round.
Filippo Volandri beats Roberto Bautista-Agut 7-5, 6-4
Joining Fognini in the second round, Italian, Filippo Volandri toppled world number 153, Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain, in straight sets 7-5, 6-4 in the opener.
The second seed required two hours and four minutes to undo the Spaniard in a close encounter.
Volandri and Bautista-Agut swapped a couple of breakthroughs in the first five games of the opening set, equalising the score at 5-5. The Italian made the decisive strike in the eleventh game and capitalised on it to win 7-5.
Both players made a steady start in the second set, holding their serve in the first four games to take the score to 2-2. Volandri broke the Spaniard in the fifth game but could not consolidate on it, levelling the score at 3-3.
The Italian hit a blow again in the eighth game and this time he made the most of it to capture the second set 6-4.
Volandri will take on Mijan Zekic of Serbia in the next match. The Serbian beat Czech, Michal Schmid, in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 in the first round.
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