Breakthrough for Fognini as he wins first Masters title
MONACO: On the clay courts where he once practised as a youth with big dreams, Fabio Fognini won the biggest title of his erratic career, beating Dusan Lajovic 63, 64 yesterday in the Monte Carlo Masters final.
The local lad from nearby San Remo, a 40minute drive away along the Mediterranean coast and over the Italian border, made a breakthrough at the highest level so far at the age of 31. Lajovic lost the first final of his career at age 28.
Although it was Fognini’s ninth career title, it was his first at Masters level and will help him push closer to the top 10 when he climbs six places up to 12th in the rankings.
‘‘I was born in San Remo, and I was practising here when I was young. I know really well this tennis club,’’ Fognini said.
‘‘My friends and family are happy now, because I have my name on this tournament that it’s something that when I was really young I was dreaming about.’’
The 13thseeded Italian’s first title of the year came the day after he stunned defending champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets, becoming the first player to beat Nadal at the Monte Carlo Country Club since Novak Djokovic in the 2015 semifinals.
‘‘It has been an incredible week; I will keep working,’’ Fognini said.
‘‘I started the season badly so this is unbelievable.’’
After going out in the third round of the Australian Open, Fognini had won only one match and lost six times before this tournament.
Somehow, he has turned it all around and it feels exhausting.
‘‘Mentally I’m so tired but really, really happy because I won a big tournament that was always my goal in my career,’’ he said.
‘‘We are talking about Masters Series and the next one is a grand slam. So it is second in the line.’’
Fognini’s career has seen many flashes of brilliance — his flicked, laserbeam forehands fly down the line at astonishing speed and his crosscourt backhand is equally dangerous — but also many temper tantrums. A player who has beaten Nadal three times on clay in his career, and beaten Nadal once at the US Open after trailing by two sets, must be doing something right.
But there have always been question marks hanging over Fognini, and finally winning a Masters may help shed some selfdoubt.
‘‘He definitely has the game for top 10,’’ Lajovic said. ‘‘We all know that tennis is not just tennis, it’s mental most of the time. So it depends on him.’’
The 48thranked Lajovic’s run to his first career final was unexpected.
But the unseeded Serb rarely threatened in humid, overcast and slightly windy conditions.
Lajovic graciously acknowledged he was outplayed.
‘‘I had to work much harder than him to win the points; this was the key,’’ he said. ‘‘When I was aggressive, I was able to make points and put him under pressure. But at times, my game was just off. I had a lot of unforced errors.’’
Fognini is only the fourth man to win the claycourt event since Nadal’s first of a record 11 wins in 2005. Djokovic, twice, and Stan Wawrinka also won. — AP