2012
Fabio Fognini is an expressive player. At any point in the match, you might see him screaming out into the ceiling or his team (often, his own name), striking out balls or throwing his racquet. But all his flare-ups are just part of the game. "I do nothing," Fognini says.
Meanwhile, his team does not seem to pay attention to the player's outbursts either. During Fognini's tough match with Tobias Kamke in the First Round, Fognini's player bench, along with fellow Italian player Simone Bolelli, when not chuckling at Fognini's screaming, were discussing... pasta. Bolelli, who lost in the First Round, was choosing between mushroom and carbonara sauce.
The 69th-ranked Slovenian, Grega Zemlja, made himself noticed in the second day of the tournament by defeating 5th-seeded Lukas Lacko in straight sets, 6-3 6-2. Zemlja is the highest-ranked Slovenian male, having won three Challengers in the summer and reached the Third Round at the U.S. Open. He scored the second upset of the day. Spain's Roberto Bautista-Agut had earlier defeated the 6th seed, Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei, 6-4 6-2.
- Tuesday's Rough Spot
- The indoor hard surface at the St. Petersburg Open is getting mixed reviews from the players. Grega Zemlja, despite winning comfortably against Lacko, complained that the surface is a 'rough' one, and is 'hard on the legs,' limiting players' movement and preventing them from sliding. It is slow like clay, with high bounces, the Slovenian said.
Saturday's Roller Coaster
Saturday's Singles Final which featured third seed Petra Kvitova and seventh seed Maria Kirilenko, had an odd energy. The first set was slightly lethargic, although certainly competitive, as both players produced good shots. The match was on serve until 5-5, when Kirilenko had a problematic game on her serve and double-faulted on break point, seemingly handing Kvitova the set. However, the Czech was nervous in the next game and played loosely to let Kirilenko, who fought hard, back into the set.
