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Match details
Fixture: Fabio Fognini vs Pablo Andujar.
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open.
Round: First round (Round of 128).
Date: 10 March, 2022
Venue: Indian Wells, USA.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Prize money: $8,584,055.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot
Fabio Fognini vs Pablo Andujar preview
Fabio Fognini will take on Spain's Pablo Andujar in the first round of the 2022 BNB Paribas Open at Indian Wells on thursday.
Fognini has recovered after a shaky start to the 2022 season. He suffered a second-round loss in Sydney and a first-round loss at the Australian Open. The Italian then participated in the South American clay swing, where he began with a quarter-final finish in Buenos Aires.
The 34-year-old then fared well in the ATP 500 event in Rio as well. He defeated Pablo Carreno Busta and Federico Coria, before bowing out to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.
Andujar has not had a good start to 2022. The Spaniard has not made it past the quarterfinals of a single event he has played so far, and his level has been questionable.
The 36-year-old started the year with a solid third-round appearance at the Australian Open, but then faltered on the South American clay, bowing out of the second round in Buenos Aires and Rio.
He then lost in the second round at Acapulco to World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.
Fabio Fognini vs Pablo Andujar head-to-head
The first-round encounter at Indian Wells is the sixth match between the two players, with Fognini leading the head-to-head 4-1 over Andujar.
All of their previous meetings have come on claycourt, with the Italian winning their most recent encounter at Roland Garros in 2018. Andujar's only win against Fognini came at Barcelona in 2015.
Fabio Fognini vs Pablo Andujar prediction
Fognini comes into the encounter with better momentum, as well as history on his side, giving him the edge over Andujar.
The Italian will look to build on his showing in Rio and fare better than he did in the desert last October. He will use his attack-minded playing style and consistent backhand to put pressure on his opponent.
Andujar managed a couple of high-profile upsets against Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem last year. However, clay being his strong suit and his recent form on hardcourt would suggest that he will likely come up short against Fognini.
Prediction: Fognini to win in straight sets.
