Fabio Fognini in action against Andrey Golubev during their second round match in the Mercedes Cup tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, yesterday.
Fabio Fognini began the defence of his Mercedes Cup with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Kazakh Andrey Golubev yesterday.
The Italian top seed, who drew a record fine of nearly 30,000 dollars at Wimbledon for various offences, was on best behaviour as he headlined the final edition of the tournament on clay.
The event will make a switch to grass next June as part of the new three-week run-up to Wimbledon, which will start a week later and end around mid-July.
Fognini has fond memories of the Weissenhof club, where he made a breakthrough a year ago as he won a first ATP title.
He backed it up a week later by doing the trophy double at Hamburg and added a third on the dirt with a victory at Vina del Mar in Chile in March.
His 2013 Stuttgart finals opponent, fifth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber, did double duty on the day after a rainy start to the week.
The German won a first-round test over compatriot Jan-Leonard Struff 6-4, 6-3 and then faced Czech Lukas Rosol as the event got back on schedule.
Kohlschreiber, ranked 26th, won the title in May at Düsseldorf. Four of his five trophies have come in Germany, with seven of 11 finals appearances also made at home.
The last German to win the Stuttgart title was Michael Stich in 1991.
The 13th-ranked Fognini advanced despite four double-faults and no aces, breaking twice and saving both break points he faced on his serve, in the 79-minute win over Golubev.
Mikhail Youzhny, the 2002 champion - in his first career title - who is playing the tournament for the seventh time, returned for the first time in three years to begin with a defeat of Argentine Leonardo Mayer 6-1, 6-1.
The veteran got into his match rhythm after a bye, overcoming six double-faults in the heavy conditions to reach the last eight in 69 minutes.
“The first match in any event is difficult,” said the 32-year-old. “In these tough conditions, I’m glad to go through in two sets against an opponent who had already played a match.
“He also helped me a bit as he did not play his best tennis. I will have to be 100% ready for the quarter-final if I want to keep on winning.”
Third-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut beat Stuttgart-based Irishman Louk Sorensen 6-3, 1-6, 6-1. Number four Feliciano Lopez defeated fellow Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-3.
Sixth seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez fought through a long tie-breaker to win the first set over Swiss number 232 qualifier Yann Marti, then came from a break down in the second to post a 7-6 (15-13), 7-5 win into the quarters.
Colombian number seven Santiago Giraldo beat Philipp Davydenko 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 and Argentine eighth seed Federico Delbonis made a comeback against Benjamin Becker, beating the German 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4.
Results: Second round: Fabio Fognini (ITA x1) bt Andrey Golubev (KAZ) 6-4, 6-4 Santiago Giraldo (COL) bt Philip Davydenko (RUS) 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 Roberto Bautista (ESP x3) bt Louk Sorensen (EIR) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 Guillermo García-López (ESP x6) bt Yann Marti (SUI) 7-6 (15/13), 7-5 Lukás Rosol (CZE) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x5) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) Feliciano Lopez (ESP x4) bt Daniel Gimeno (ESP) 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 Federico Del Bonis (ARG x8) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-4 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x2) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-1, 6-1