On the clay courts where he once practiced as a youth with big dreams, Fabio Fognini won the biggest title of his erratic career by beating Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 in the Monte Carlo Masters final.
The local lad from nearby San Remo, a 40-minute drive away along the Mediterranean coast and over the Italian border, made a breakthrough at the highest level so far at the age of 31. Lajovic lost the first final of his career at age 28.
Although it was Fognini’s ninth career title, it was his first at Masters level and will help him push closer to the top 10 when he climbs six places up to 12th in the rankings.
“I was born in San Remo, and I was practicing here when I was young. I know really well this tennis club,” Fognini said. “My friends and family are happy now, because I have my name on this tournament that it’s something that when I was really young I was dreaming about.”
The 13th-seeded Italian’s first title of the year came the day after he stunned defending champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets, becoming the first player to beat Nadal at the Monte Carlo Country Club since Novak Djokovic in the 2015 semifinals.