Fabio Fognini- “Rafael Nadal is Still 110% Favourite For Every Clay Court Event”

The World Number 12 tennis player, Fabio Fognini staggered the tennis followers during the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters 2019 semi-finals after he vanquished the 11-time champion, Rafael Nadal in straight sets. Post his victory over the World Number two tennis player, Fabio Fognini became the second oldest man to win his first Masters title on the ATP circuit.

Despite, the Italian man defeating Rafa in Monaco on his favourite surface and extending his match-winning count to three against the ‘King of Clay’ on the red dirt, Fabio Fognini holds high regards for the Spaniard maestro.

Against Fabio Fognini in Monte-Carlo, Nadal saved five match points and escaped a bagel in the second set. Before his semifinal upset, he played a bizarre match against Guido Pella where he was 4-1 down in the first set.

At Indian Wells 2019, Nadal pulled out from his semifinal against Roger Federer due to a knee injury, and since that withdrawal, Rolex Mont-Carlo Masters 2019 was his first tournament.

Fabio Fognini is seeded second in the Estoril Open and looking forward give a productive performance in the Portuguese event. He is playing in Estoril after ten years and he’ll open against Pablo Cuevas from Uruguay.

“I’m here to do my best,” he said. “But I don’t count myself as a Roland Garros favourite. Clay season is a bit more open this year, with Rafael losing in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, but if Nadal is on fire, he is still 110% favourite for every clay court event,” Fabio Fognini said.

“Thiem should be a threat and Roger is coming back to clay in Madrid on fast hardcourt. Of course, my goal is to win Roland Garros, but I can only look at each round at a time, take it day by day. But my goals have changed a bit, I’ll admit, after winning Monte Carlo.”

The U.S. Open 2015 champion, Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini tied a knot in the year 2016 and they delivered their first child in May 2017. She mentioned that he was a ‘wild horse’ before the birth of their son.

“Nothing will change Fabio Fognini, not even by 10 percent,” Fabio Fognini said upon his arrival in Estriol. “I’ll still be a wild horse, as Flavia said. I don’t care what the people say, even though I now have a son. But I now say that the best thing about winning is being able to go home and celebrate with my family. He’ll never come on the court as an English lord – he’s divisive. People love him or they hate him precisely because he’s a wild horse. He’s unique in tennis.”