Italian trio Starace Fognini and Seppi succeed in Umag

Written by: Staff on 29th July 2011

Swedish Open ATP tennis tournament in Baastad

Italian trio Starace Fognini and Seppi succeed in Umag

Potito Starace of Italy returns the ball to Sweden's Robin Soederling during the Swedish Open ATP tennis tournament in Baastad, Sweden, 15 July 2011. EPA/BJOERN LARSSON ROSVALL ***SWEDEN OUT*** |

Top seed Argentinian Juan Ignacio Chela suffered a surprise loss at the ATP Studena Croatia Open in Umag to Italy’s Potito Starace yesterday. The Italian won in three sets 6-4 4-6 7-5 in two and a half hours. This match was a repeat from last year’s Umag tournament when Starace also defeated Chela. Starace was the runner up to Ferrero in 2010.

The world number 54 Starace is yet to claim an ATP Tour career title. He came close this year in Casablanca and he has made three other finals throughout his career.

It will be an all-Italian quarterfinal in the top half of the draw. Starace will face fellow countryman Fabio Fognini who sailed past veteran Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-4 6-1.

The number four seed Croat Marin Cilic is hoping for a good week this week. The crowd favourite needed three sets to overcome Robin Hasse in the second round 4-6 6-4 6-3.

“It’s nice to have tournaments at home and try to play well. This week I’m left along in the singles field so hopefully I can go through my next match as well,” Cilic said.

Cilic’s next opponent is Italian Andreas Seppi. The number seven seed Italian finished off Argentina’s Diego Junqueira 7-5 6-1.

The Croatian team of Marin Cilic and Lovro Zovko are through to the semi-finals in the doubles event. Cilic and Zovko blasted past Leos Friedl and David Skoch 6-3 6-0. Their semi-final oppenents will be Blaz Kavcic and Jaroslav Pospisil who beat the number four seeds Dustin Brown and Michael Kohlmann 6-1 6-2.

In the bottom half of the draw the Italians are making great progress. The all-Italian team of Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini won in a tough match against Ivan Dodig and Antonio Veic 6-4 2-6 17-15.

Bolelli and Fognini will face the Italian/Mexican team of Daniele Bracciali and Santigo Gonzales who beat Franco Ferreiro and Andre Sa of Brazil 6-2 6-4.

SCHEDULE – FRIDAY, 29 JULY, 2011

CENTRE COURT start 5:30 pm

[4] M Cilic (CRO) vs [7] A Seppi (ITA)

Not Before 8:00 PM

C Berlocq (ARG) vs J Ferrero (ESP)

M Cilic (CRO) / L Zovko (CRO) vs B Kavcic (SLO) / J Pospisil (CZE) – Possible Court Change

GRANDSTAND start 5:00 pm

P Starace (ITA) vs [6] F Fognini (ITA)

A Ramos (ESP) vs [2] A Dolgopolov (UKR)

S Bolelli (ITA) / F Fognini (ITA) vs [2] D Bracciali (ITA) / S Gonzalez (MEX) – Possible Court Change