© Corrine Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Qualifier Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beats No. 16 seed Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday in Rome.
Djokovic to begin campaign against Fritz later today
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, already enjoying the best season of his career, booked a place in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia second round on Tuesday.
The Spanish qualifier saved two set points in the second set en route to a 6-4, 7-6(2) victory over Bulgarian No. 16 seed Grigor Dimitrov, the 2014 semi-finalist, in one hour and 43 minutes.
Davidovich Fokina, who saved five of six break points and won 81 per cent of his first-service points (42/52), bounced back from 2-4 down in the second set and saved two set points on serve at 4-5, before an impressive display in the tie-break.
The World No. 48, who has a 14-9 record this year, will next challenge a qualifier – compatriot Roberto Carballes Baena or Briton Cameron Norrie, the recent Millennium Estoril Open finalist (l. to Ramos-Vinolas).
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the five-time champion at the Foro Italico, meets Taylor Fritz in the second round later today.