TennisSection previews the 2022 Madrid Masters as Fabio Fognini takes on Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round on Monday, May 2nd, 2022.
The main draw of the Madrid Masters has thrown up a tasty first-round match featuring two of the best shot makers on the men’s tour. Italy’s Fabio Fognini is looking to build on his recent good form from Belgrade and will face the unpredictable Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili. Who will come out victorious?
Fabio Fognini did adequate work at the Serbia Open a couple of weeks ago to return to the world’s Top 50. His run to the semifinal came on the back of a very disappointing Monte Carlo campaign which ended in the second round. That defeat saw the Italian fall as low as No. 62 in the rankings (his points from 2019 in the Principality being chalked off). But he has managed to climb back in the half centurion club with three big wins in Belgrade. Now that he has got momentum in his side, Fogniniwill be a dangerous floater in the draw of the Madrid Masters.
Nikoloz Basilashvili, in contrast, has had a season to forgetahead of his fourth main draw appearance at the Madrid Masters (0-3 record at the tournament). He has tallied four wins all year and remarkably three of them came in that week in Qatar where he made the finals. Outside Doha, he was able to win in Munich this past week, defeating Ilya Ivashka in three sets before losing to Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarterfinals stage.
Fabio Fognini leads Nikoloz Basilashvili 1-0 in completed matches. He defeated the Georgian in straight sets on the hard courts of Cincinnati last season. They were due to face each other in the first round of Indian Wells in March before Fogniniwithdrew due to injury. The Italian has hit a purple patch lately and is surely the odds-on favorite to win at the Madrid Masters. And although Basilashvili is a man famed for his extraordinary shot-making ability, he is unlikely to hurt the World No. 50 on current form.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Fabio Fognini to win in straight sets.
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