Edinburgh’s Jacob Fearnley signalled he may be back on an upward tennis trajectory after a few tough months.
He has won a second qualifying tie to book a place in the first round proper of this week’s Italian Open in Rome.
Next up is big serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetchi Perricard, 22, who is world no 59 but has been as high as 29. He is ranked no 7 in his country.
if Jacob comes through he would face Italian sixth seed, Loenzo Musetti.
The 24-year-old Fearnley came from a set down to beat American Aleksander Kovacevic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 a day after he’d seen off Japan’s Shintano Mochizuki in straight sets.
It is a result that will bring optimism to the former Colinton junior’s many followers particularly the fact that his first serve ratio against Kovacevic was an impressive 79 per cent.
That meant the double faults which had been undermining Jacob before he retired hurt against Martin Damm after a set of their Miami Open clash in mid March not to be seen again until this week at the Foro Italico were kept under control – two in total compared with five aces.
Adding lustre to the win is the fact that Kovacevic, although ranked 97, defeated Poland’s world No 53 Hubert Hurcacz in the recent Indian Wells tournament.
The Fearnley camp keep things close to their chest but it was rumoured his slide down the rankings to just outside the top hundred after a career high 49 11 months ago was connected to a rib injury affecting his serving hence the double faults.
If the six week break from competition has healed any injury 9he could well defend ranking points gained in Rome last year when he excelled by defeating local favourite Fabio Fognini before stretching former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berretinni to 4-6, 6-7.
Whatever, there is a degree of momentum developing for Jacob, who, as a junior defeated both Jacob Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, heading into the second slam of the season, the French Open, then on to the grass court campaign built around Wimbledon.
