ATP roundup: Fognini ousts top seed in Morocco, Berrettini ramps up comeback

Fabio Fognini, made a strong comeback after a challenging second set to defeat the top-seeded Serbian Laslo Djere 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 in the second round of the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech, Morocco.

Djere dominated the second set with a 4-0 lead, but Fognini rallied back by winning the final four games of the third set to secure the victory.

In other matches, Italians Lorenzo Sonego and Matteo Berrettini also advanced, while Flavio Cobolli suffered a loss to Russia's Pavel Kotov.

Berrettini will face Sonego, and Kotov will play against Fognini in the quarterfinals.

In the second round at Houston, Ben Shelton, the top seed, overcame a slow start to defeat Belgium's Zizou Bergs with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Despite losing the first set, Shelton displayed resilience by saving all five break points he faced in the second set.

Furthermore, he denied Bergs any break opportunities in the third set. Shelton's victory secured his place in the quarter-finals, alongside fellow US players Marcos Giron and Brandon Nakashima.

Giron triumphed over his compatriot J.J. Wolf with a score of 6-4, 6-3, while Nakashima defeated Australia's Rinky Hijikata with a score of 6-1, 6-4.

The most surprising outcome of the day came from Italy's Luciano Darderi, who outlasted the second-seeded Francisco Cerundolo from Argentina in a thrilling match that ended with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (4).