BNP Paribas Masters, Paris

[CR20] Fabio Fognini (ITA) continues to underwhelm his fans with his lack of mental clarity on court, losing matches that were seemingly in his control. Today was another example of how badly Fognini’s game has deteriorated in the latter part of this season as he lost to [CR176] Lucas Pouille (FRA), 6-7(5), 6-7(7).

There was a match earlier this year where Fognini had a complete emotional collapse on court and since then, his game has suffered. He is emotionally volatile and it is adversely affecting his game because he is struggling to remain composed during matches; even when he is leading, he is easily agitated and can completely lose focus.

Pouille took advantage of Fognini’s fragile psychological state, remaining positive and focused when Fognini served for the first set and again in the second set. Pouille’s persistence and willingness to compete despite being the much lower ranked player paid off. Pouille moves on and Fognini goes home to spend the off-season restoring his emotional balance and mental strength.