Fabio Fognini is an eccentric Italian player, both off and on the court. His shots—especially when he's in a groove—are often brilliant, and he's been on absolute fire in Rome.

During his battle against Dominic Thiem in the second round of the Italian Open, the world No. 21 outwitted the Austrian during a heated point. Fognini would upset Thiem, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, earning a thunderous round of applause from the fans in his home country.

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Fognini's streak didn't end there. On Thursday, he eased past Peter Gojowczyk to reach the quarterfinals.