For Fabio Fognini, who was born in Sanremo and has his roots in Arma di Taggia, Monte Carlo is the home tournament: he won it in 2019, it feels good inside, he always gets great vibes from it. So it happens that even this year, despite the bad American trip with related health problems, as soon as I get back on the ground of the Principality Fabio is reborn: today he beat Serbian Filip Krajinovic in two sets (6-2 7-6) and tomorrow in the quarterfinals (third match from 11, TV on Sky Sport) he will face the winner of the eighth between Casper Ruud and Pablo Carreno Busta. At the age of 33, he is the last blue in the race, and for the fourth time he enters the last eight in Monte Carlo (of the 30 quarter-finals in Masters Series tournaments reached by Italians, eight are his).
«As Corrado Barazzutti always says, if the boss holds up, if the light bulb stays on, I expect to have some more fun playing tennis», jokes Fogna. «Here I had the ass, or the skill, to win in 2019, and if I play like this, with this attitude, tennis responds, that’s where it awaits me. My problem, we don’t find out today, is attention, I have always been a magician in raising my opponents, but now things are going well. Today I only got angry a couple of times (Krajinovic was ahead 5-2 in the second set, ed) then I recovered, so it seems useless to go back to the past ».
This time, Fabio is very right, who in the role of pack leader or elder brother of the Azzurri troops is comfortable. “I’ve always gotten along with everyone over the years, and I’ve always said that the more the better. Now there are two young people like Musetti and Sinner who guarantee us, we hope, at least the next ten years, except for injuries that unfortunately can always be there in tennis. The important thing is not to rush them, let them grow up in peace (and here his voice becomes more heartfelt, ed), because I’ve been through it too and I know how difficult it is when everyone puts pressure on you. Sinner has a crazy staff, soon he will be able to fight for the Grand Slams, Musetti is still a bit behind, he needs to fix things but he too has enormous possibilities. Then we must not forget Matteo Berettini, Lorenzo Sonego who are doing great things, Andres Seppi who is always there, others like Mager, Travaglia, Cecchinato who are between number 50 and 90 and can still improve ».
Whoever is at home in Monte Carlo, but hasn’t felt good at the Country Club these days, is the world number 1 Novak Djokovic. Already against Sinner he had appeared a little below his standard, very foul, but Jannik’s tennis had finally put him on the ball. Against the variations of the English devil Dan Evans instead went into crisis, being eliminated in two sets (6-4 7-5) seasoned by 45 free mistakes. “I felt terrible on the pitch, congratulations to Evans, but it was one of my worst games on earth.” Djokovic had not lost before the quarters in a Masters 1000 on clay since 2008, Evans before today on clay had won two matches in his entire career, the sense of defeat is all here.
«Is the earth your favorite surface?», Tim Henman tried to make fun of his compatriot on TV. “Is golf your favorite sport?” Dan replied promptly.
For the rest, a very easy success for 11 times Monte Carlo champion Rafa Nadal on Grigor Dimitov, and quite easy for Stefanos Tsitsipas on Chilean Garin. The other surprise of the day comes from the success of David Goffin on the world number 6 Sascha Zverev, while the success of Davidovich Fokina on the French Lucas Pouille is not surprising.
Results: Davidovich Fokina-Pouille 6-2 7-6, Tsitsipas-Garin 6-3 6-4, Goffin-Zverev 6-4 7-6, Evans-Djokovic 6-4 7-5, Fognini-Krajnovic 6-2 7 -6, Nadal-Dimitrov 6-1 6-1.