Fognini edged out fellow 35-year-old Andy Murray in a nearly three-hour battle in the opening round of the Italian Open.

Given a wild card entry after a month out with an injured foot, Fognini hit more than twice as many winners as Murray (49-24) in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win on Campo Centrale.

Murray was coming off his first title in three years after he won an ATP Challenger event in southern France over the weekend for his first tournament victory since 2019 — and first on clay since 2016.

But Fognini’s crafty shot-making proved the difference as the Italian produced a series of drop-shot winners that were so effective Murray didn’t even attempt to run them down.

Murray was also left fuming after protesting a linesman’s call late in the first set, which gave Fognini a 5-3 advantage. Murray pointed to the mark on the red clay and told the chair umpire that it was clearly out.

Another veteran who advanced earlier was Stan Wawrinka, who wasted little time securing a 6-2, 6-4 win over Ilya Ivashka after the start of play was delayed for 90 minutes due to rain.

Novak Djokovic, who has a first-round bye, will open against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who advanced with a 7-6 (7), 6-3 win over 18-year-old Luca Van Assche.