Schwartzman, Fognini Win Contrasting Rio QFs

In opposite halves of the Rio de Janeiro draw, Diego Schwartzman and Fabio Fognini took opposite paths to quarter-final victories.

The third-seeded Schwartzman needed over three-and-a-half hours to edge Pablo Andujar, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4, while Fognini edged past Federico Coria in half that time with a tidy 6-4, 6-2 result.

In a match that saw at least four breaks of serve in each set, Schwartzman broke 12 times to hold off Spain’s Andujar. A see-saw match reached an eventful climax after the Argentine was broken in the longest game of the contest, a five-deuce frame which saw Andujar draw level at 4-4 in the third.

The World No. 14 immediately restored his break advantage, but then needed to escape 15/40 as he served for a semi-final place. A would-be Andujar passing shot clipped the tape on his first break chance, and another backhand did the same on his second.

The drama ended on Schwartzman’s third match point, as an Andujar lob sailed long.

The Argentine is one win away from consecutive ATP Tour finals, after he reached the title match in Buenos Aires last weekend. He will face compatriot Francisco Cerundolo in the semis, after the 23-year-old got past Miomir Kecmanovic, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.

Cerundolo entered Rio with a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 100, and will likely improve upon that with his run to the final four.

Fognini dominated Coria in the lone straight-set match of the Rio quarter-finals. The Italian raced to a 4-0 lead in the opening set, and again broke in the opening game of the second on the way to a routine win. 

The 34-year-old will face either top seed Matteo Berrettini or seventh seed Carlos Alcaraz next.

Berrettini sent that marquee quarter-final into a third set before rain interrupted play for a third straight day in Rio. Alcaraz took the opener, 6-2, with the Italian taking the second by the same scoreline.

Both the quarter-final and semi-final rounds are scheduled to be completed on Saturday, weather permitting.