By Alberto Amalfi | Friday January 3, 2020
Daniil Medvedev topped Fabio Fognini for the third straight time clinching Russia's conquest of Italy in its ATP Cup Group D opener in Perth.
Photo credit: @ATP Cup
Daniil Medvedev arrived in Australia eager to raise Russia's flag at this inaugural ATP Cup.
Medvedev lifted his level at the right time repelling Fabio Fognini 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Russia's Group D conquest of Italy at the RAC Arena in Perth.
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Earlier, Russian No. 2 Karen Khachanov converted four of five break points stopping Stefano Travaglia 7-5, 6-3 in the opener. Khachanov roared through 11 of the last 14 games staking captain Marat Safin's squad to the early lead setting the stage for Medvedev's rally.
It was Medvedev's third straight win over the Monte-Carlo Masters champion, including a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 triumph in the 2018 Sydney semifinals. Medvedev snapped a four-match losing streak, including his winless debut at the ATP Finals in London last November.
"I'm more happy for the team since we are 2-0 [up] we won the match," Medvedev said. "Really happy with my win. Maybe not happy with some moments of my performance, but the most important is to get the win for the country and be up a point today, which is what I've done. So I'm really happy."
Though Medvedev said before the match he's heard Fognini remark he doesn't like playing the US Open finalist, the theatrical Italian dominated the opening set racing out to a 5-0 lead.
The fifth-ranked Russian responded reeling off five straight games to seal the second set and force the decider.
Fognini, whose wife, former US Open champion Flavia Pennetta, gave birth to the couple's second child last month, showed flashes of fine net skills and fought off 14 of 18 points.
The menacing Medvedev return saw the Russian break in four of Fognini's last seven service games closing in one hour, 48 minutes.
"It's quite calm out here today for Australia," Medvedev said. "The ball was not going that fast.
"First set, Fabio was just destroying me so I knew that second set I knew I had to play much more aggressive. Second set I tried to change it a little bit. It worked very well and I'm really happy."
The 24-team event is being contested in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney round-robin stages through January 12th.
The six winners of each group and the top two second-place finishers advance to the Final Eight beginning on Thursday in Sydney.