Rome, May 9 -- Britain's Jacob Fearnley is safely through to the second round of the Italian Open with a straight-set victory over home hero Fabio Fognini.
The 23-year-old defeated the veteran Italian - who announced on Tuesday this would be his last Masters 1000 event in Rome - 6-2 6-3 in the first round on Thursday.
Fearnley will now face another Italian opponent, Matteo Berrettini, on Saturday.
He said it was a "tough match" against the 37-year-old Fognini and he had to "dig deep" in both
sets.
"I knew playing such an experienced player like Fabio that I had to up my game in order to win," Fearnley told Sky Sports.
Thursday's match was briefly interrupted as spectators at Foro Italico were told Robert Prevost had been elected as th...