By Tennis Now | Saturday, July 21, 2018
Fabio Fognini fought off Fernando Verdasco, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, to reach his second final of the season where he will face Richard Gasquet.
Photo credit: SkiStar Swedish Open Facebook
Fabio Fognini use his flair for angles and fine finesse to fight through to the Båstad final.
Fognini fought off Fernando Verdasco, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, to reach his first final since he beat Nicolas Jarry to capture his sixth career title in Sao Paulo in March.
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It is Fognini's first win over Verdasco in four clay-court meetings.
"[It was] really tough," Fognini said during his on-court interview. "Beating Fernando, it's really difficult. I mean he's a great champion, but today was a really tough match for sure. I start really well and then after losing the first game of the second set that was 40-love on my serve, he was playing more confident.
"The third set, I think it was a lottery."
The third-seeded Italian overcame seven double faults denying seven of the 12 break points he faced.
Fognini will play for his seventh career title against Richard Gasquet tomorrow.
The fourth-seeded Gasquet ended the run of Swiss lucky loser Henri Laaksonen, 6-2, 6-3, to reach his 31st career final.
Gasquet, who owns a 15-15 career finals record, has won two of three meetings with Fognini. The pair are squaring off for the first time in five years.