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Fabio Fognini and his father harshly attacked Filippo Volandri, captain of the Italian Davis Cup team, but the former player defended himself from the attacks, effectively sinking Fognini. Italy will face Canada, Chile and Sweden from 12 to 17 September in the group stage with the aim of detaching the pass for the Finals in Malaga.Volandri will have to do without Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini: the former preferred to miss a moment’s break after the tough defeat suffered against Alexander Zverev at the US Open; the second injured his ankle at Flushing Meadows.The current Italian captain then made a surprise decision and excluded Fabio Fognini from the squad, who will be replaced by Andrea Vavassori.
The tennis player did not willingly accept Volandri’s announcement and attacked him harshly.
Volandri on Fognini: “I find his words ungrateful”
Volandri responded to Fognini’s strong words in an interview given to the Italian press agency ANSA, saying: He them added: “In his latest appearances, Fognini has suffered retirements and physical problems.
His performance in the last three months did not meet the criteria that, in my opinion, must be met to obtain a call-up to Davis. While I was in New York, I received a phone call from a member of his medical staff who was already telling me that Fabio was in very poor condition.
At that point, speaking of motivations, he decided to put his recovery before anything else, including the national team, which is why he chose to play in Genoa, outdoors and on clay, in spite of a Davis who in Bologna it is played on hard and indoors.
Despite the fact that a federal staff was proposed to him, with technicians, athletic trainers and doctors at his disposal, precisely to try to recover him. So, I respected his wishes but he left me no choice, that’s the truth.
I wish Fabio to return to the levels he belongs to and I continue to thank him for what he has done in the past in the Davis Cup. This is the last time I address this topic publicly; we are on the eve of an important appointment, much more than our personal destinies, so we must all focus on the goal.”
