Australia’s Bernard Tomic will try to avenge his lone and only defeat against Italy’s Fabio Fognini when they clash in one of the opening round matches of the 2015 BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. Tomic lost to the Italian when they played in the grasscourt event in Eastbourne 4-6 6-3 7-5 back in 2012.

Tomic, who recently turned 23, is hoping to further give a boost to his year-end world ranking with the remaining tournaments of the season. He achieved his career-high singles rank as World No. 18 after reaching the last eight of the 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters.

Following his great campaign in Shanghai, he took part in the 2015 If Stockholm Open, but he was upset by Marcos Baghdatis in his second-round opening match. Tomic next played in the 2015 Valencia Open, but his ranking surge suffered yet another blow after a 3-6 6-3 6-4 loss to Pablo Cuevas.

Tomic is 39-26 this season. He won his third career title after a successful title defence at the Claro Open in Bogota when he beat Adrian Mannarino in three sets, 6-1 3-6 6-2, in July. Tomic also won his first title in a hardcourt surface event at the 2013 Apia International Sydney event.

Fognini is also coming off from early elimination in Valencia. The 22nd-ranked Italian was upset by 215th-ranked German Mischa Zverev in straight sets 6-2 7-6(3) at the ATP World Tour Masters 250 event.

The 28-year-old is 32-25 this season. Like Tomic, Fognini had won three titles in his career, all of which were in claycourt tournaments in Stuttgart and Hamburg (2013) and Vina del Mar (2014). The winner between Tomic and Fognini will meet fourth seed Stan Wawrinka, who received a bye through to the second round.

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