TENNIS
Early exit in Rome dents Andy Murray’s French Open seeding hopes
World No 42’s recent momentum halted in first round of the Italian Open with 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 defeat by Fabio Fognini
Murray lost a deciding set for the first time this year
ALEX PANTLING/GETTY IMAGES
Andy Murray’s hopes of being seeded at the French Open suffered a considerable setback with a three-set defeat by Fabio Fognini in the first round of the Italian Open.
Three days after winning his first piece of silverware for four years at a second-tier ATP Challenger in France, the former world No 1 could not keep up the momentum in Rome, losing to his Italian opponent 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 54 minutes.
Murray and Fognini, both aged 35, have four wins apiece in their meetings through the years. The fierce rivalry has occasionally spilt over into heated exchanges on the court, most notably at the 2019 Shanghai Masters when Murray told Fognini to “shut up” after an argument over an act of
