Cool Kyle Edmund is ready for culture clash with bad-boy Fabio Fognini at the French Open

Measured approach | Kyle Edmund
AP Photo/Christophe Ena
Paul Newman1 June 2018

From their on-court behaviour to their off-court characters and from their style of play to the colour of their kit, tomorrow’s third-round meeting between Kyle Edmund and Fabio Fognini here at the French Open will be a clash of cultures.

There could hardly be greater contrasts between the 23-year-old Briton and the 31-year-old Italian, who have never played each other. Edmund, the last Briton left in singles, is measured, softly spoken and reserved, and has had to work on being more demonstrative on court, even talking himself into doing more fist-pumping.

Fognini is emotional, outspoken and often outrageous. The world No18 was given the biggest fine in Wimbledon history (a total of £16,150) four years ago after hurling his racket to the grass, abusing an official and making an obscene gesture at his opponent.

The Italian is under the threat of suspension from two Grand Slams after being fined for using “extremely derogatory and misogynistic language” towards a female umpire at last year’s US Open, where he was thrown out of the doubles.

In Pictures | Roland Garros: French Open 2018

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While 5ft 10in Fognini’s game is a mix of spectacular shot-making and bewitching creativity, 6ft 2in Edmund’s greatest strengths are his thunderous serve and forehand.

The contrasts even extend to what they wear. Edmund has been playing here in an all-blue kit with a black and white hoop around the chest, while Fognini has been wearing an all-red outfit which, it is suggested, makes him look like comic-book character Flash.

Edmund sits one place higher in the rankings at No17, but has played in only one tour-level final, while Fognini has six titles — all on clay. Here, though, Fognini has gone beyond the third round only once, when he made the quarter-finals seven years ago. “He’s an emotional type of player,” Edmund said, when asked about his opponent’s character. “In terms of his game style, he likes to build points. He plays very much a clay-court game. He likes to have time behind the baseline, doesn’t hug it too much. He plays with a lot of shape and spin and when the ball is short he moves up. I think he has pretty easy power on the clay.”

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