Russian Andrey Rublev, number 12 in the ATP ranking, defeated Argentinean Facundo Bagnis, world number 135, 6-4 and 6-4 on Tuesday. and he got off to a good start at the 1000 Masters in Rome, which is held, without an audience for security reasons, on the clay of the Foro Italico. Rublev, the second player with the most victories this season (20 with this Tuesday), behind the 26 of Serbian Novak Djokovic, needed an hour and 39 minutes to beat Bagnis, who entered the main draw after overcoming three qualifying rounds.
Despite making up to 26 unforced errors and needing a bit of filming to get used to the clay, after reaching the quarterfinals on the cement of the US Open, Rublev was always in control of the match. Champion this year in Doha and Adelaide and quarter-finalist in New York, where he surrendered to his compatriot Daniil Medvedev, Rublev stood in the second round of the Roman tournament, in which he will face the Polish Hubert Hurkacz, number 17 of the ranking.
Denis Shapovalov, who fell in the US Open quarterfinals against Pablo Carreño, did not have too many problems to beat Argentine Guido Pella (6-2, 6-3) and he will meet Pedro Martínez. Another favorite and also a quarter-finalist in the New York Grand Slam, Alex de Miñaur, stumbled against the German Denis Koepfer (6-3, 3-6 and 7-6 (6)), who will oppose Frenchman Gael Monfils, seeded exempt from the first round. The defeats of Tennys Sandgren against Italian Caruso (3-6, 6-3 and 7-6 (4)) and Jan-Lennard Struff against Argentine Federico Coria (6-1 and 7-6 ( 5)).
Musseti takes down Wawrinka
The big surprise of the day was the victory of the Italian Lorenzo Musseti, who at 18 eliminated a triple Grand Slams champion, Stan Wawrinka, by winning against all odds 6-0 and 7-6 (2). Musseti, 249 in the world, qualified from the previous one by beating Zapata, Mayer and Zeppiere and surprised the Swiss on a terrain that historically was good for him (he won Roland Garros in 2015 and was a finalist in 2017). The young local will see them in the second round with the Japanese Kei Nishikori.
Results of the day.