2020 Australian Open – Tennys Sandgren vs Fabio Fognini Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Tennys Sandgren vs Fabio Fognini taking place? Melbourne Park, Melbourne
When is Tennys Sandgren vs Fabio Fognini on and what time does it start? Sunday 26th January, 2020 – not before 05:00 (UK)
What is the expected weather for Tennys Sandgren vs Fabio Fognini? Cloudy, 22c
What channel is Tennys Sandgren vs Fabio Fognini on? The 2020 Australian Open will be televised on Eurosport so it is worth checking their schedule for this specific match
Where can I stream Tennys Sandgren vs Fabio Fognini in the UK? Sky customers can stream this match on the Sky Go app. Alternatively, the match can be streamed to subscribers of Eurosport Player, either on the official website or as an add-on to an Amazon Prime subscription
Where can I get tickets for Tennys Sandgren vs Fabio Fognini? Click here to reach the official 2020 Australian Open ticket selection
Who won the last meeting between Tennys Sandgren and Fabio Fognini? Tennys Sandgren beat Fabio Fognini 6-3, 7-6, 6-3
THE LOWDOWN
TENNYS SANDGREN
- Tennys Sandgren’s never-say-die attitude saw him break the powerful serve of USA compatriot Sam Querrey five times in a straight-sets third-round victory.
- The world number 100 is by far the lowest-ranked player left in the draw, with Marton Fucsovics the other non-seed at world number 67, and he could be on his way back to a career-high 41st ranking in 2020.
- Sandgren caused the shock when he last played Fabio Fognini as he beat the Italian in the third round last year at Wimbledon, but Fognini leads their head-to-head record 2-1.
FABIO FOGNINI
- After two five-set matches with Reilly Opelka, played over two days due to rain, and Jordan Thompson in the second round, Fabio Fognini put in an assured performance to come through 22nd-seed Guido Pella in straight sets.
- The first-set tiebreak against Guido Pella proved pivotal, with Fognini taking all seven points in a devastating moment that the Argentine could not come back from.
- 32-year-old Fognini has never made it past this stage of the Australian Open, losing twice in the round of 16 to Novak Djokovic in 2014 and Tomas Berdych in 2018.
THE PREDICTION
Tennys Sandgren has pushed Fabio Fognini’s buttons as recently as last summer when the American frustrated him over three sets to claim an unexpected win. That match saw Fognini fined over unsavoury language that tarnished his reputation for the rest of the year somewhat but he looks in some of his best shape at the Australian Open and will be harder to beat on the hard surface. There is something about world number 100 Sandgren that makes him tough to beat at Grand Slams, and the big-match player has reached the quarter-finals here before – something that world number 12 Fognini has not. This could go the distance, and either way, but Fognini will be ready to exact revenge and could just edge things this time.
