Fabio Fognini failed to take a set off Alexander Zverev in their first two FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings. But the Italian broke through in style against the 21-year-old on Thursday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
In front of an energised crowd on Court Rainier III, Fognini secured 75 per cent of first-serve points (30/40) to defeat Zverev 7-6(6), 6-1 in 90 minutes. Fognini has now reached five ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finals, which include his run to the semi-finals at the Monte-Carlo Country Club in 2013 (l. to Djokovic).
Fognini entered the tournament with seven losses in his past eight tour-level matches and trailed Andrey Rublev 4-6, 1-4 in his first-round match. But after his first win over a Top 3 opponent since his victory over then-World No. 1 Andy Murray at the 2017 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Fognini is one win away from a return to the last four in the Principality.
The World No. 18 will meet ninth seed Borna Coric in the quarter-finals. Fognini defeated Coric in their only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head clash at the 2014 Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.
The Croatian advanced to his second straight Masters 1000 quarter-final after one hour and 41 minutes, saving all three break points he faced to beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 6-4, 6-2. Coric also reached the last eight at the Miami Open presented by Itau last month, beating Nick Kyrgios in three sets before a straight-sets loss to #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Did You Know?
With qualifier Lorenzo Sonego also advancing to the last eight, two Italians are into the Monte-Carlo quarter-finals for the first time since 1978, when Corrado Barazzutti and Adriano Panatta accomplished the feat.
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Source: ATP World Tour
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