By Alberto Amalfi | Sunday, July 30, 2017
Fourth-seeded Fabio Fognini topped German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann,6-4, 7-5, in the Gstaad final to collect his fifth ATP title.
Photo credit: Robert Hradil/RvS.Media
Fabio Fognini lifted his fifth career title with a flourish.
Fognini broke German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann three times in a 6-4, 7-5, victory in the Gstaad final.
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It is Fognini’s first championship since last July when he defeated 124th-ranked Andrej Martin in the Umag final.
The fourth-seeded Fognini surged to a 4-0 lead.
Controlling the center of the court, Fognini often forced Hanfmann to scrape out shots from the corners collecting the 40-minute opening set.
Fognini cracked 21 winners in a one hour, 33-minute victory.
The 30-year-old Italian won three consecutive three-set matches—including a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 semifinal conquest of second-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut—en route to the final.
The 170th-ranked Hanfmann fought off four match points surging past Robin Haase, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4) into his first career ATP final.
Hanfmann was bidding to become the lowest-ranked ATP champion since then world No. 192 Florian Mayer defeated Alexander Zverev to win the 2016 Halle championship.
Playing his seventh match in eight days, Hanfmann hung tough throughout the second set.
Fognini frequently took the ball on the rise and played with precision at critical moments.