In another endless day ruined by the rain both Fabio Fognini and Matteo Berrettini left the scene in “Rio Open”, ATP 500 with a prize pool of $ 1,815,115 that is nearing completion on the clay courts of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil (last year the tournament was canceled due to the pandemic). Both beaten by the same opponent, the Spanish Alcaraz, deadly with his drop-shots on a field made very slow by the rain, that the title will be played – at 9.30 pm Italian time, live on SuperTennis – with the Argentine Diego Schwartzman, n.14 ATP and third favorite of seeding (no previous)
Fognini, 38 ATP, fresh from the quarterfinals in Baires and finalist in this tournament in 2015 (when he defeated Nadal in the semifinals before yielding to Ferrer), after having liquidated the Argentine Federico Coria in the quarterfinals for 64 62, 29 year old from Rosario, n.63 in the ranking, in the Italian night was beaten 62 75, in an hour and three quarters of a game, to the Spanish Carlos Alcarazn.29 del ranking e 7 del seeding.
Double Duty Complete ????@ alcarazcarlos03 keeps it up today with a fantastic performance against Fognini, 6-2 7-5 to reach the finals in Rio! pic.twitter.com/bhkJ4wWXmR
– Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 20, 2022
There were no precedents between the Ligurian and the 18 year old from El Palmar (Murcia). In a match that began at 11pm, Fabio got off to a bad start, giving up his serve at the start with a cross backhand sent into the corridor. He avoided the double break in a laborious fifth game but the feat in the seventh failed him and shortly after Alcaraz archived a one-way first set 6-2.
In the second half the 34-year-old from Arma di Taggia tried to react and, after having canceled a ball-break in both the first and third game, in the fourth he took advantage of the first chances offered by Alcaraz and on the fourth attempt he snatched his serve, with the right of the Spaniard finished in the corridor (3-1), then confirming the advantage (4-1). In the seventh game, however, with a double fault the Ligurian returned the break (4-3), in the following game he wasted the chance to take it back by burying the backhand in the net and the Spaniard hung him up on 4 all. In the eleventh game, at the end of a close exchange, Fabio gave up again and shortly after the Spanish Next Gen closed the speech 7-5 at the first match-point. Just before the rain started falling again.
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