US Open Takeaway: #16, Foul, foul Fabio Fognini

This 17-point roundup is about the men and women who put it all on or inside the lines at the rowdiest major event of the season. The hits started early, and they simply kept coming.

See No. 17 here.

16

It has to be said: The word is overused when describing both of them, but Fabio Fognini is flat-out more "mercurial" than Nick Kyrgios.

The following is not a referendum on Kyrgios. It is an indictment of Fognini. This countdown has so many marks to hit that we need to get this reprehensible incident out of the way early. Fognini argued with a female chair umpire in the midst of a singles loss and then took to disrespectful and profane language in addressing her.

Fognini did apologize, in a classic example of "too little and too late":

Loosely translated, the post reads:

"I would first like to apologize to you fans, to the referee, for what happened today. It was just a very bad day, but it does not forgive the behavior in the match! Although I'm a hot head (and although I think I've been right in most of the circumstances) I MADE A MISTAKE. Which then ends with a tennis game."

The damage was done, and US Open authorities were unsparing in their reply, even if it arrived a bit tardy after Fognini was moving his way into the third round of men's doubles draw action with partner Simone Bolelli.

John McEnroe for one had to be glad for the black cloud that Fognini's incident cast over the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for about 24 hours. With Fognini's mega-flap on everyone's lips, McEnroe escaped largely unscathed for a seemingly unintentionally offensive commentwhere, say, Doug Adler did not.

And so Fognini was given ample opportunity to return to his wife, Flavia Pennetta, the 2015 US Open champion, and their young son. Hopefully he was forced to explain himself.

Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.