[33] Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs. [147] Jared Donaldson (USA)
Donaldson got the win of his young career today when he upset 33rd ranked Fognini. Was it a matter of Fognini being tired and Donaldson taking advantage of a great opportunity to get a victory over a top fifty opponent? No, he competed well and he outplayed Fognini, especially with his backhand shot down the line. Fognini forced him to elevate his game to beat him and Donaldson responded. He got a little tight in the end trying to serve out the match but he managed to break Fognini again in the end to win the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Neither player served well, with both serving below 50%. He will have to increase his first serve percentage in the next round if he hopes to compete with the likes of Milos Raonic.
[16] John Isner (USA) vs. [144] Ryan Harrison (USA)
The only time Harrison was able to defeat Isner prior to this encounter was back in 2013. A lot has changed since then for both players. While Isner’s ranking has dropped since then, he has stayed within reaching distance of the top 10. Harrison’s ranking on the other hand has dropped out of the top 100. So much was expected of Harrison and maybe the pressure got to him. Early last year we saw signs of the brilliant tennis he is capable of producing in Acapulco and then he just faded over the rest of the season. This result is a good sign for Harrison; he stayed mentally tough against the big serving of Isner and did not let frustration ruin his game. He won 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 6-4. His next opponent is Tomas Berdych and I give him a good chance of winning their first encounter.
