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Australian Open: Foul-mouthed Fabio Fognini survives Opelka scare
Updated On: 22 January, 2020 08:01 AM IST | Melbourne | AFP
"Let me ask you something, real quick," an incensed Opelka said, before aiming a volley of swear words at the official
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Italy's Fabio Fognini throws his racquet in frustration after losing a point to America's Reilly Opelka in Melbourne yesterday. Pic/AFP
Melbourne: Italian firebrand Fabio Fognini came through an intense five-set epic at the Australian Open Tuesday in a match overshadowed by expletive-laden rants at the umpire, who was slammed as "pathetic". The 12th seed was two sets down when his first round clash against giant American Reilly Opelka was halted by rain on Monday. They returned under blue skies on Tuesday when Fognini emerged a 3-6, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) winner but with an injured hand after hitting his racquet in anger. The injury was testament to a niggly affair with no love lost between the players. When Opelka felt Fognini got away with time-wasting and not being penalised for throwing his racquet, he confronted umpire Carlos Bernardes. "Let me ask you something, real quick," an incensed Opelka said, before aiming a volley of swear words at the official.
"You're pathetic. You give me one warning after one throw. He's thrown his three or four times, bro," he added. Fognini, who lost his temper several times on Monday, also had strong words for the umpire, ranting in Italian and gesturing with his hands, apparently over a time violation. He reportedly told Bernardes: "You're not fit for this." Asked about it later, Fognini, who had a nasty red mark across the knuckles on his racquet hand, did not want to dwell on the angry exchanges. "It was not my problem," he said, preferring to focus on his comeback, which saw him withstand 35 aces from the 6ft 11ins (211cm) Opelka. "I was lucky that the rain came on the right time. Yesterday he was playing better than me," he added.
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