By Alberto Amalfi | Tuesday, April 9, 2019
World No. 101 Jiri Vesely held off a late rally surprising second-seeded Fabio Fognini, 7-6 (2), 6-4, in Marrakech.
Photo credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters
Returning from a right foot injury, Jiri Vesely played a couple of Challenger events in recent weeks.
Today, Vesely took a major step forward on the comeback trail.
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The 101st-ranked Czech pulled off an eye-popping tweener pass to close the first set then held off a late rally in the second surprising second-seeded Fabio Fognini, 7-6 (2), 6-4, in Marrakech.
Vesely slammed his 10th ace to close a one hour, 46-minute victory and earn his first Tour-level triumph since Pune the first week of the season.
Vesely's victory came on center court hours after 33-year-old Spanish qualifier Adrian Menendez-Maceiras shocked Fernando Verdasco, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
The two hour, 31-minute upset was Menendez-Maceiras' second Tour-level win of the year and sends him into a second-round match with Taro Daniel, who dismissed Mischa Zverev, 6-3, 6-0. The sixth-seeded Verdasco hit seven aces and seven double faults.
A three-time Marrakech semifinalist, Vesely will take on Juan Ignacio Londero for a quarterfinal spot.
In an all-Argentine clash, Londero defeated lucky loser Carlos Berlocq, 6-2, 6-4.
Vesely is no stranger to clay-court upsets.
Three years ago, the 6’6” Czech shocked Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
Fognini won a touch duel at net to open the tie breaker with the mini break. Vesely responded with a six-point run—including his eighth ace and a smash—for a 6-2 tie break lead.
Playing defense for the majority of the breaker, Fognini tried a casual drop shot return on set point—and nearly got away with it—but Vesely ran down a lob and ripped a tweener winner to seal the set in stirring style.
Festering frustration erupted as Fognini netted a drive volley surrendering the first break of the match as Vesely snatched a 2-1 second-set lead.
Compounding that error, an irate Fognini smashed his Babolat racquet to the clay a couple of times incurring a code violation warning for racquet abuse.
Two games later, Fognini paid the price for a poor drop shot as a streaking Vesely rapped a forehand winner for triple-break point. When Fognini sprayed a backhand down the line long, the big Czech had his second straight break and a 4-1 lead.
Just when it appeared Vesely was in total command, the animated Italian wasn’t through yet. Fognini attacked net behind a forehand down the line, drew an errant pass and earned his first break of the day for 3-5.
Undaunted, Vesely ripped his 10th ace to close the match.
Seventh-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber out-dueled Spanish qualifier Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 7-6 (4) 7-5. Kohlschreiber saved 12 of 15 break points in a one-hour, 55-minute victory that sends him into a second-round clash with Pablo Andujar.