Fabio Fognini tests positive for coronavirus

Fabio Fognini (Google Images)

For the third time in a week, a notable tennis player on the ATP Tour tested positive for coronavirus. According to tennis.com, Italy’s Fabio Fognini announced he has the disease and was forced to witrhdraw from the Forte Village Sardegna Open in Sardinia, Italy. Fognini was the number one seed in the lower ranked tournament, which was part of the ATP 250 Series.

Fognini had already played a doubles match with fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti in Sardinia. Fognini and Musetti lost to fellow Italians Andrea Vavasorri and Lorenzo Sonego 6-7, 7-6, 15-13 in a marathon on Tuesday.

In singles play, Fognini was to play Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain. However he never got on the court, as it was announced he had the positive result. Interestingly, Fognini was then replaced by Serbian lucky loser Danilo Petrovic, the 166th ranked player in the world, and subsequently upset Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1, 6-4.

Fognini is currently ranked 16th in the world. The 33 year-old who is married to Italian tennis star Flavia Pennetta, won the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters for the biggest title of his career. In the final he beat Dusan Lajovic of Serbia, 6-3, 6-4.

The other two tennis players over the last week who tested positive were American Sam Querrey and Belgium’s David Goffin. Querrey is getting harshly criticized for leaving Russia on a private plane even though he was expected to self isolate in his Russian hotel for 14 days. According to the Associated Press, Sam Querrey and his wife Abby left the hotel in St. Petersburg and breached protocol. The ATP Tour is investigating and it should be interesting if Querrey is suspended and/or fined.

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