TENNIS – The highlight of the Monday evening session of the first day of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia at the famous Foro Italico in Rome was the match between Jo Wilfried Tsonga and Alexander Dolgopolov, a match that could have been a final in most of the ATP tournaments. Tsonga won in straight sets with 6-3 7-6(5). Tsonga saved three set points in the second set before clinching the win in the tie-break. Diego Sampaolo
Interviews, results, order of play, draws of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome
Tsonga and Dolgopolov met for the fifth time in their careers. Dolgo led 3-2 in their previous head-to-head matches and won their last clash in Madrid in 2012. Dolgopolov reached the semifinal at Indian Wells and the quarter final in Miami but was beaten in the second round in Madrid. Tsonga reached the quarter final in Monte-Carlo but suffered a second-round defeat against Santiago Giraldo in Madrid.
Tsonga held serve in the first game before breaking serve in the second game to go up 2-0. The Frenchman served very well and backed up his break to go up 3-0. Tsonga pulled away to 5-1 but in the seventh game Dolgopolov earned her first break point of the match and converted it for 2-5.
Tsonga created three set points. Dolgopolov saved the first point but Tsonga clinched the first set at the second opportunity.
In the second set Tsonga saved three break points and recovered from a 1-4 deficit in the tie-break.
In the first game the Ukrainian player held his serve to love. In the second game Tsonga saved the break point to hold serve for 1-1. Dolgo hit his fourth ace to take a 3-2 lead. He held the seventh game to love for 4-3. At 5-5 Tsonga earned two break points but Dolgo won four consecutive points to save it. Down 5-6 15-40 on his serve Tsonga saved two set points with a backhand volley to force the set to the tie-break. In the tie-break Tsonga rallied from 1-4 down before pulling away to clinch the tie-break with 7-5.
Tsonga draws level to 3-3 in his head-to-head matches against Dolgopolov.
The other highlight of the first round was the win of Grigor Dimitrov (the youngest player in top 20) who fought back from a set down to take a 4-6 6-3 6-4 win over Edouard Roger Vasselin. Dimitrov will face Ivo Karlovic who also rallied from a set down to edge Spanish qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta.(voted as the Most Improved Player by the ATP in 2013) in the third-set tie-break with 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4)
The major disappointment for the local fans was Fabio Fognini’s 6-3 6-2 defeat against Lukas Rosol. The curse of Fognini continues as he has never advanced beyond the second round in the home tournament. Rosol, finalist in Bucharest two weeks ago against Dimitrov played a great match in which he won 82% of his first serve points and never faced a single break point. Fognini hit just eight winners to 24 unforced errors.
Fognini has continued his period of ups and downs on clay. After losing to Tsonga in the third round in Monte-Carlo, the Italian top-player lost the final in Munich against Klizan and lost his first match in Madrid against Dolgopolov.
Rosol will face Ivan Dodig who beat Federico Delbonis from Argentine with 6-3 6-4.
Giles Simon beat Italian wild-card Filippo Volandri 6-2 6-3 to set up a second round match against Rafa Nadal
