5 talking points from the 2020 Australian Open

Modified Feb 03, 2020 19:52 GMT

Novak Djokovic won his 8th Australian Open title in the 2020 edition of the tournament

#5 Fognini becomes the 4th active player to recover a 2-set deficit at all 4 Grand Slam tournaments

Making his 13th appearance at the Australian Open, reigning Monte Carlo champion Fabio Fognini found himself two sets down against Australian Jordan Thompson in the opening round.

However, not for the first time in his career, the fiery Italian fought back from the brink, taking the next two sets 6-3, 6-4 before downing Thompson 10-8 in the ensuing deciding set tiebreak. In the process, Fognini joined Federer, Fernando Verdasco and Tommy Robredo as the only active players to have successfully recovered a two-set deficit at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

Fognini has made the ultimate comeback once at Roland Garros (2010 2R against Gael Monfils), twice at Wimbledon (2010 2R against Michael Russell, 2014 1R against Alex Kuznetsov), and thrice at the US Open (2012 1R against Edouard Roger-Vasselin, 2015 3R against Rafael Nadal, and 2016 1R against Teymuraz Gabashvili).

Federer leads the all-time list with 10 comebacks from two sets down in Grand Slam tournaments.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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