Fognini Upsets Eight-Time Champion Nadal in Barcelona

April 23, 2015 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Rafael_Nadal_02_8
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Italian Fabio Fognini upset second-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal on Thursday, beating the eight-time champion 6-4, 7-6(6) to reach the Barcelona Open quarterfinals.

The 13th-seeded Fognini was able to secure the lone break of the opening set and was able to serve out the remainder to take the one set advantage on Nadal.

In the second set, Nadal was able to break Fognini three times, but the Italian responded with a break of his own after each one, forcing the frame into a tie-breaker.

Fognini then opened up a 6-3 advantage in the breaker to set himself up with three match points. Nadal wouldn’t go quietly, winning three straight points to even it at 6-6. But the Italian responded with two straight points to clinch the victory in just over two hours.

“I played poorly, I didn’t play like I should have,” said a visibly disappointed Nadal in his post match press conference. “I didn’t play aggressively; I missed more shots than I normally do. I didn’t manage to keep the advantage I had. Having three breaks in the second set and end up at 5-5 is a disaster. This is a blow for me, but I accept the challenge and the negative day I had today. There is no other way forward other than to accept it or die.”

It is the second consecutive win for Fognini over Nadal on the clay surface which Nadal has dominated in his career.

The Italian moves into the final eight and will next play Spain’s Pablo Andujar who notched an upset of his own on Thursday, downing his compatriot and fifth-seeded Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4.

The defending champion and top-seed Kei Nishikori cruised into the quarterfinals Thursday. Nishikori rolled past 15th-seededed Colombian 6-2, 6-1, breaking him five times to make up for an inconsistent serve.

Nishikori will meet seventh-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut in the quarters. Bautista-Agut got past 10th-seeded Argentinean Pablo Cuevas 7-6(5), 6-2 to advance.

David Ferrer was a winner on Thursday as well. The third-seeded Spaniard beat Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer 6-3, 6-4. He will play German Philipp Kohlschreiber after the 12th seed knocked off France’s Benoit Paire 6-4, 7-6(6).

The other quarterfinal in Barcelona will pit 14th seeded Serb Martin Klizan against ninth-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo.

Klizan moved past Victor Estrella-Burgos of the Dominican Republic 6-4, 6-3, while Robredo rolled past compatriot Marcel Granollers 6-2, 6-2. 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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