Tennis: Fognini beats Lajovic to win Monte Carlo Masters
Flamboyant Italian Fabio Fognini followed up his shock victory over Rafael Nadal with a 6-3 6-4 win over Serbian Dusan Lajovic to claim his maiden Masters title in Monte Carlo.
Italy's Fabio Fognini celebrates with the trophy after winning the Monte Carlo Masters in France, on April 21, 2019.
Fabio Fognini won the biggest title of his career after beating Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday in the Monte Carlo Masters final.
The 13th-seeded Italian's first title of the year was his ninth overall but first at Masters level.
It came the day after he stunned defending champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets, becoming the first player to beat Nadal here since Novak Djokovic in the 2015 semifinals.
The 48th-ranked Lajovic's run to his first career final was unexpected. But the unseeded Serb rarely threatened in humid, overcast and slightly windy conditions .
Fognini needed a medical timeout to receive treatment to his right foot and right thigh after the fifth game of the second set.
Italy's Fabio Fognini poses with Serbia's Dusan Lajovic as they pose with the winner and runner up trophies after the final .
But it did not impede him as he served out the match, clinching victory on his second match point when Lajovic hit a forehand wide.
The players hugged warmly at the net.
The 31-year-old Fognini is only the fourth man to win the clay-court event since Nadal's first of a record 11 wins in 2005. Djokovic, twice, and Stan Wawrinka also won.
The last Italian before Fognini was Nicola Pietrangeli in 1968.
The 85-year-old Pietrange li, a two-time French Open winner, stood and applauded as Fognini dropped to his knees to kiss the surface.
Italy's Fabio Fognini kisses the court as he celebrates after winning against Serbia's Dusan Lajovic at the end of the final tennis match of the Monte-Carlo ATP Masters Series tournament in Monaco on April 21, 2019.
Pietrangeli walked gingerly onto the court and the pair hugged. Pietrangeli posed alongside Fognini as he held the trophy.
The match started evenly enough, but Fognini broke for a 4-2 lead when Lajovic made an unforced error on forehand. Fognini then held his serve with a typically flamboyant one-handed, cross-court backhand to take control.
Serving for the set, Fognini saved a break point with a forehand winner down the line, and then clinched it with an equally good backhand.
Fognini broke for a 3-2 lead in the second set when Lajovic hit a forehand wide.
After Fognini's medical timeout, Lajovic missed an easy smash at 30-30 in the next game.
With that miss, his slim hopes faded.
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