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Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain beat Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 in the first round of the Swiss Open in Gstaad on Tuesday (July 18). The match lasted for more than two and a half hours, as the Spaniard had to toil for the victory.
However, Ramos-Vinolas looked the hungrier player between the two veterans, as Fognini did not seem to be interested enough at times.
Ramos-Vinolas will take on Lorenzo Sonego of Italy in the second round on Thursday, July 20. He might find it difficult to overcome Sonego, who is a good eight years younger than him. However, the Spaniard's decent court-coverage will give him an outside chance in Thursday's match.
On that note, let us take a look at two things that stood out in Ramos-Vinolas' win over Fogini in the first round of the Swiss Open.
#1. Fabio Fognini's limited movement and casual approach did not help his cause
Fabio Fognini is not the fastest mover on a tennis court and his limited movement made things easier for Albert Ramos-Vinolas. The Spanish southpaw often found it easy to hit through the 36-year-old Italian and also made him move from side to side at times.
Ramos-Vinolas broke Fognini twice in the first set to race through it and go one up. The set was over even before the Italian could adjust himself to the playing conditions.
#2. Both players struggled to hold serve
Both Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Fabio Fognini struggled to hold serve in the match. Fognini bounced back in the second set after his forgettable performance in the first. He broke the 35-year-old Spaniard twice in the second set to win it with ease and thus draw level. The Italian showed glimpses of his wonderful touch by hitting a few winners with impeccable drop volleys and half-volleys.
However, the tables were once again turned in the third set, with Fognini struggling to cover the court. Ramos-Vinolas dictated terms with his forehand and ran to a 5-1 lead, breaking the Italian twice in the process. Fognini then broke back quite unexpectedly to reduce the deficit, but was then broken to love in the subsequent game to hand Ramos-Vinolas the victory.
Fognini was able to win only 29% of the points on his second serve in the match, while Ramos-Vinolas faring better in comparison with 53%. The two players faced a staggering 17 break points reach, with Ramos-Vinolas converting eight of them and Fognini converting five.
