Fabio Fognini launches an explosive rant against the Napoli Cup and the ATP for horrible management and playing conditions
Follow Us
Venue for the Tennis Napoli Cup, Fabio Fognini
Fabio Fognini, the current World No. 64, became the latest player to criticise the inaugural 2022 Tennis Napoli Cup that’s being played this week. Fognini exited the tournament in the second round suffering a straight-set defeat to top-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta who dropped just 2 games against the Italian.
With the tournament criticised for various reasons including the throwing of players’ luggage from hotel rooms and poor quality of surface, Fognini’s complaints were also on similar lines. The Italian did not spare the ATP and the organiser for the poor level of management and expressed his frustration.
“Tonight I took the field for the second match of the day and at the end of the warm-up I asked the supervisor to intervene because I wanted him to check the conditions of the field. It was very slippery and nevertheless, I was denied this possibility,” said Fognini as reported by Tennis Infinity.
“The supervisor showed up after two games and then stopped the game after the third game. Why this delay? This is a serious lack of ATP Tour in a week that is already very complex,” added Fognini further as he crashed out in the second round.
Also Read: Matteo Berrettini dodges question on messy ATP Napoli Cup fiasco, admits it’s a “complex situation”
Fabio Fognini’s complaints fall on deaf ears as ATP continues to keep mum
With the tournament almost getting cancelled and the draws being re-done, the event has been a massive failure if the level of matches is removed. With logistical and quality issues at the tournament, the players have been horribly disappointed with the treatment received at the tournament.
Despite this fiasco, the ATP has not issued any statement. Nor has the board made any attempt to bridge the gap between the players and the tournament organisers showing poor leadership when they remain the supreme body in men’s tennis.
Somehow, however, the tournament has been able to hold matches. While the players have taken the backstep as all points matter in the final weeks of the season, the tournament will complete its quarter-final matches today, i.e. Friday, 21st October.
It will however go down as one of the worst-managed tournaments of recent times on the Tour. Fans and players can only expect that the Andrea Gaudenzi-led ATP manages to review the whole tournament with the organisers later in order to not repeat this poor level of management in future events.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)