Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, already enjoying the best season of his career, booked a place in the Internazionali BNL d'Italia second round on Tuesday.
The Spanish qualifier saved two set points in the second set en route to a 6-4, 7-6(2) victory over Bulgarian No. 16 seed Grigor Dimitrov, the 2014 semi-finalist, in one hour and 43 minutes.
[WATCH LIVE 1]
Davidovich Fokina, who saved five of six break points and won 81 per cent of his first-service points (42/52), bounced back from 2-4 down in the second set and saved two set points on serve at 4-5, before an impressive display in the tie-break.
The World No. 48, who has a 14-9 record this year, will next challenge Great Britain's Cameron Norrie, the recent Millennium Estoril Open finalist (l. to Ramos-Vinolas), who knocked out fellow qualifier Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 42 minutes.
Later in the day, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the five-time champion at the Foro Italico, defeated American Taylor Fritz 6-3, 7-6(5) in a rain-interrupted encounter. The Serbian star will meet Davidovich Fokina or Norrie in the third round.
The Spanish qualifier saved two set points in the second set en route to a 6-4, 7-6(2) victory over Bulgarian No. 16 seed Grigor Dimitrov, the 2014 semi-finalist, in one hour and 43 minutes.
[WATCH LIVE 1]
Davidovich Fokina, who saved five of six break points and won 81 per cent of his first-service points (42/52), bounced back from 2-4 down in the second set and saved two set points on serve at 4-5, before an impressive display in the tie-break.
The World No. 48, who has a 14-9 record this year, will next challenge Great Britain's Cameron Norrie, the recent Millennium Estoril Open finalist (l. to Ramos-Vinolas), who knocked out fellow qualifier Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 42 minutes.
Later in the day, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the five-time champion at the Foro Italico, defeated American Taylor Fritz 6-3, 7-6(5) in a rain-interrupted encounter. The Serbian star will meet Davidovich Fokina or Norrie in the third round.