Italy’s Fabio Fognini celebrates after beating Britain’s Andy Murray during a Davis Cup World Group quarterfinal tennis match in Naples, Italy, Sunday, April 6, 2014. Fognini won 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. AP
NAPLES — Italy’s world number 13 Fabio Fognini stunned a tiring Andy Murray 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to level their Davis Cup quarter-final tie 2-2 with Britain in Naples on Sunday.
It means Britain’s bid to make the semi-finals of the competition’s World Group for the first time in 33 years will hinge on the final singles rubber between Andreas Seppi and James Ward.
Murray started in positive fashion, breaking the Italian number one in the first game of the first set.
But Fognini, part of the doubles team beaten by Murray and Colin Fleming on Saturday when Britain took a 2-1 lead, responded in positive fashion and had Murray on the ropes throughout most of the encounter on red clay.
The Italian broke back twice in the first set and twice again in the second to heap the pressure on Murray.
In the second set alone, Murray had 21 unforced errors and only six winners to 11 for his Italian opponent.
The Scot was struggling with his serve and with a partisan Neapolitan crowd on his back throughout, never really found rhythm.
Fognini broke Murray once again during a slightly closer third set and logically closed out the win when Murray hit yet another shot into the net.
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