Fognini Shocks Nadal To Reach Monte-Carlo Final

Fabio Fognini produced the performance of his career on Saturday to stun 11-time champion Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-2 at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, advancing to his first ATP Masters 1000 final.

Fognini claimed 11 of 14 games from 1-3 down in the first set to stun the 33-time Masters 1000 champion after one hour and 36 minutes. Fognini's fourth victory in 15 FedEx ATP Head2Head encounters against the 80-time tour-level titlist ends 18-match and 25-set winning streaks for Nadal in the Principality.

This is just the second time the World No. 18 has claimed victory against Top 2 opposition, adding to his 2017 triumph over then-World No. 1 Andy Murray at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

Fognini entered the tournament on a five-match losing streak on clay and looked set to fall to a sixth straight defeat on the surface in his opening match. But after Andrey Rublev led the Italian 6-4, 4-1, Fognini found his best tennis and he has not looked back. Fognini defeated World No. 3 Alexander Zverev, ninth seed Borna Coric and Nadal to reach the championship match at the Monte-Carlo Country Club.

Fognini will meet first-time tour-level finalist Dusan Lajovic for the trophy. Lajovic, who is yet to drop a set in the Principality this week (10-0), recovered from 1-5 down in the first set to beat Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-1. Fognini and Lajovic have never met at tour-level.

Fognini joins Novak Djokovic as the only player to defeat Nadal at the Monte-Carlo Country Club after the quarter-finals. Djokovic snapped Nadal's 46-match win streak in the Principality to claim the 2013 title and also defeated the Spaniard in the last four in 2015.

The eight-time tour-level titlist is just the fourth man to defeat Nadal at the third Masters 1000 event of the year. The 31-year-old adds his name next to Novak Djokovic (2013, '15), David Ferrer (2014) and Guillermo Coria (2003) on the exclusive list.

Nadal was bidding to reach his 13th final in Monte-Carlo and match Roger Federer's record for most final appearances at Masters 1000 level (50). The Manacor native owns a 33-16 record in his 49 championship matches at Masters 1000 level, which includes an 11-1 record at this event.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2IKKaHA