WHAT HAPPENED: Uncle Sam came to slay.
Well, really it was No. 14 seed, Fabio Fognini, dressed in a stars-and-stripes inspired tennis kit, who punched his ticket into round 2 by upending wild card recipient Michael Mmoh, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6.
The Italian donned a blue top with stars and red and white striped shorts, an obvious ode to the host country of the final slam of the season. Fognini’s outfit was eye-catching, yes, but his game even more so.
The world No. 14 was slow to start, as 20-year-old Mmoh took the first set, converting two break points and winning 69 percent on first serve to take the first set.
But Fognini dialed in during set two, blasting cross-court forehands past a noticeably frustrated Mmoh. Set two saw the Italian win 79 percent on first serve and hitting 15 winners.
While the two heavy hitters were putting on a thrilling show on the court, the theatrics continued in the stands of Court 17. After Fognini would make a point, one zealous fan in the stands would sing his name -- “Fabio!” -- to the amusement of the crowd.
Fognini kept up his momentum from the second to take the third set.
“They like me, yes, but I think they like me because of Flavia (Pannetta, his wife),”
However, Mmoh wasn’t quick to relent, not at his home slam. In the third, the two traded breaks until reaching 6-all, pushing them into a tiebreaker.
Ultimately, Fognini prevailed, taking the tiebreaker, 7-4, and the match in three hours and 12 minutes.
WHAT IT MEANS: During his interview after the match, Fognini told the crowd, “I always say I play bad tennis, but really, it’s my best year.”
His record in 2018 supports that claim. The Italian is only one spot away from his career-high ranking of No. 13 that he reached in 2013. His success can be attributed to the three titles he took earlier this year, including Sao Paulo and Bastad.
Should Fognini continue his “best year,” and survive Australia’s John Millman in the next round, he has a shot at tying his best result in Flushing Meadows, when in 2015 he made it to the fourth round, dismissing Rafael Nadal before falling to Feliciano Lopez.
MATCH POINT: Even though Fognini was playing an American in the United States, the crowd in New York had plenty of love for the Italian, which Fognini credited to his wife, fellow tennis player Flavia Pennetta, who took home the Tiffany trophy in 2015.
“They like me, yes, but I think they like me because of Flavia,” Fognini joked to a reporter after the match.
