"Have you seen a better miracle?" Fabio Fognini escapes Alexander Bublik in Metz dramedy

The 36-year-old wild card saved three match points Wednesday, including one his opponent will be left thinking about.

Published Nov 08, 2023

Fabio Fognini saves second of three match points after Alexander Bublik misjudges rally | Metz

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Have you seen a better miracle than today’s match?

On Wednesday in Metz, Fabio Fognini won successive tour-level matches for the first time since reaching the third round of Roland Garros.

The wild card naturally had to save three match points to book his place in the Moselle Open quarterfinals. One notable missed opportunity by fifth seed Alexander Bublik ultimately contributed to Fognini clinching the first-time meeting, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5).

Having staved off the first match point at 5-6 in the second set, Fognini later served at 5-6 in the first of two tie-breaks. A GIF series shows what happened next:

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Bublik pushed his forehand return in play, incentivizing Fognini to leave the baseline behind.

Fognini’s approach was mid at best, enabling Bublik to grab control by curling a crosscourt backhand.

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The Italian’s backhand stab volley sat up, giving Bublik options to pass. But he didn’t opt to go up the line...

Keeping his cool to play the extra volley, Fognini’s latest reply took a favorable bounce. Bublik couldn’t handle the side spin at close range to net his backhand slice attempt and was left in utter disbelief.

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One more look at how a point that once looked to be so promising ended in disaster.

Despite the disappointment, the Kazakh soon reached a third match point—and first on his racquet. After missing a big first delivery, he pulled out the underarm serve for the first time in the contest. While Fognini gave him another look at a passing shot after coming in behind his forehand, Bublik’s crosscourt forehand failed to clear the net.

Down 5-4 in the third, with Fognini due to serve for the clash, Bublik muttered to chair umpire Aurelie Tourte, “Have you seen a better miracle than today’s match? Look at this miracle. Every point is a miracle.”

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Last week, Fognini advanced to the final eight of the challenger in Bergamo (l. to Nakashima).

Bublik nearly found one of his own, kickstarted by breaking back following the changeover. In the decisive breaker, the 36-year-old saw his 5-3 lead dissolve, but as fate would have it, prevailed two points later at the net. After getting up to Bublik’s forehand drop shot, Fognini closed a drop volley to cap the second-round show and send last year's finalist packing.

“I think now it’s time to recover,” laughed Fognini in his on-court interview. “I play like I was young, but body, I feel pain everywhere. It’s a different story. I’m happy because I stayed fighting, even if the ranking went down a little bit. I still have the energy for these kind of matches.”

Fognini awaits sixth-seeded countryman Lorenzo Sonego or 19-year-old qualifier Abdullah Shelbayh.

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