Omerta off court after Italian affair ends in heated row
Omerta off court after Italian affair ends in heated row
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Fabio Fognini and Salvatore Caruso had to be separated by the court supervisor after the first all-Italian Australian Open men s singles match of the open era ended in uproar on Thursday.
They battled it out over nearly four hours on the John Cain Arena court and played a thrilling final set tiebreak before 16th seed Fognini emerged a 4-6 6-2 2-6 6-3 7-6(12) winner.
The traditional handshake at the net quickly degenerated into a heated argument when Fognini suggested Caruso was lucky on some points in the match, an observation the Sicilian objected to.
The expletive-filled exchange, punctuated by plenty of gesticulation, continued by the side of the court until the official stood between the two players.
"We are good friends," a smiling Fognini later told reporters. "You know me... things that happen on court, stay on court. I have nothing to say about that question anymore.
"I am really happy because I think I was not playing my best tennis today," he added when asked again about the incident.
"So I had more chances than him in the fifth, but that s the sport. I was lucky, too ... these kind of things sometimes happen on court."
When pressed a third time, Fognini s smile darkened.
"You understand my words or not?" he said. "Can you please change question, please? Next question, thank you."
Caruso was equally unforthcoming when asked to discuss the post-match ruckus.
"We just had some different opinions. I think this is something that should stay in the locker room, and I will speak with him because we are friends," he said.
Fognini, who came from 1-5 down to win the final tiebreak 14-12, saving a match point along the way, was also involved in controversy during a match at Melbourne Park last year.
On that occasion, he ripped his shirt off in protest at a perceived injustice and was docked a point for refusing to play during an ill-tempered fourth round loss to Tennys Sandgren that the American described as a "war".
The 33-year-old claycourt specialist will face Australian number one Alex de Minaur in the third round.
"Really tough," said Fognini. "At the moment he s favourite, because he hasn t lost a set.
"Now I m 33, nearly 34, and I wish my body still recovers really quickly because Alex I think is one of the faster guys in the circuit."
