Fabio Fognini got the Foro Italico crowd fired up Wednesday with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win over sixth-seeded Dominic Thiem in the second round of the Italian Open.
Italy's top player came out wearing a black shirt with a red lightning bolt design down his chest and he was energized from the start, grazing the flower beds lining the court to return Thiem's high-bouncing topspin serves and frustrating the Austrian with well-placed lobs and touch volleys.
"I played very well today," said Thiem, who beat Rafael Nadal in the Madrid Open semifinals last week. "It was just him, he was very pumped playing at home."
Nadal, a seven-time Rome champion, routed 31st-ranked Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-0.
While Fognini drop-kicked his racket onto the court after a miss early in the third set, it was Thiem who ultimately lost his cool. In the final game, Thiem smashed his racket into a mangled wreck and handed it to a befuddled fan in the front row.
When Thiem netted a service return two points later to end it, the White Stripes' Seven Nation Army was blasted over the stadium sound system and the crowd began singing along in an atmosphere that more closely resembled a soccer game than a tennis match.
"We're finally connecting and I think that's the most beautiful thing," Fognini said of the crowd, which whistled him off the court following an erratic performance a few years ago. "They finally understand me. I beat a top clay-courter," Fognini added. "I think I deserved it at the end. ... I ruined a few flowers but I think the federation can afford to buy some new ones."
Thiem was already looking ahead to the French Open, which starts on May 27. "It's a loss which is not too painful, which is just motivating me for the next weeks," the Austrian said.
Also on the red clay of the Foro Italico, Albert Ramos-Vinolas rallied to beat eighth-seeded John Isner 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5).
In women's action, Simona Halep routed Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-0 for the first of two wins she needs this week to hold on to the No. 1 ranking.
Halep needs to reach at least the quarterfinals or risk losing the top spot to Caroline Wozniacki.
Nadal in 3rd round
Rome: Rafael Nadal powered his way into the third round of the ATP Italian Open on Wednesday with a straight sets win over Bosnian Damir Dzumhur.
The Spaniard won through 6-1, 6-0 in an hour as he targets an eighth title at the Foro Italico and first since 2013. Nadal lost his first match on clay in over a year last week in the Madrid quarter-finals to Austrian Dominic Thiem and as a result lost his world number one ranking to Roger Federer.
The 31-year-old, who claimed the 11th titles of his career at both Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, took the first set in 34 minutes coasting to victory in just one hour. He next takes on either Canadian Denis Shapovalov, 19, or Robin Haase of the Netherlands.