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By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, March 29, 2017

 
Fabio Fognini

Fabio Fognini dismissed a pained Kei Nishikori, 6-4, 6-2, advancing to his first Miami semifinal.

Photo credit: Miami Open

A zipping forehand from Fabio Fognini rattled another disfigured forehand reply from a cringing Kei Nishikori.

Dictating play with flair, Fognini fired whiplash strikes dismissing the 2016 finalist, 6-4, 6-2, flying into his first Miami Open semifinal.

Watch: Miami Open Live Blog

Fognini started first and controlled the center of the court, often crunching deep, wide forehand drives when Nishikori tried to tie him up with off-pace shots down the middle.

Contesting his fourth straight Miami quarterfinal, Nishikori had won 15 of his last 17 matches at Crandon Park. But the second seed, who cut short his pre-match practice session this morning, was operating on listless legs and grimaced at times hitting his forehand which fell apart amid Fognini’s attack.

It’s uncertain if Nishikori was playing hurt or simply feeling the aches and pains from his two-hour, 44-minute grind against Fernando Verdasco on Sunday followed by yesterday’s draining three-set comeback win over Federico Delbonis, but he lacked the accuracy and urgency he typically brings to Miami.




The 29-year-old Italian is the first unseeded semifinalist since Argentina qualifier Guillermo Canas surged to the 2007 final where he fell to the young Novak Djokovic.

It is Fognini’s first Top 5 victory since he surprised Rafael Nadal at the 2015 Barcelona.

The theatrical Fognini, who has feuded with both Nadal and his coach, Uncle Toni Nadal, at times, could face the 14-time Grand Slam champion for a place in the final if Nadal defeats 13th-seeded Jack Sock in tonight’s quarterfinal. Nadal has won seven of 10 meetings with the 40th-ranked Italian though Fognini made history at the 2015 US Open as the first man to rally from two sets down to defeat Nadal in a Grand Slam.

Little suggested Fognini was a final four candidate when he arrived in Key Biscayne with just three career Crandon Park wins to his credit. Fognini, whose wife, former US Open champion Flavia Pennetta, is expecting the couple’s first child, fought back from a set down to defeat Jeremy Chardy in the fourth round.

Stradding the baseline and striking on the rise, Fognini has permitted just 10 games in successive victories over Donald Young and Nishikori.

A strained Nishikori struggled to control his forehand at the outset often pushing that shot instead of stepping in and swinging through it.

In a horrid fourth game, Nishikori missed a series of rigid forehands gifting the break at love.

Fognini snapped a bounce-smash from the baseline backing up the break for 4-1.

Facing love-30 in the seventh game, Fognini pressed the second seed’s straying forehand drawing three misses from that wing and sliding an ace wide stretching his lead to 5-2.




Serving for the set, Fognini played a disengaged game poking a backhand into net and coughing up another error to donate the break at 15.

Rather than being energized by the break, Nishikori continued a pained performance.

Unwilling or physically unable to attack with his forehand, Nishikori was content to play down the middle and paid the price. Fognini opened the court with a crosscourt forehand then cracked a forehand winner down the opposite sideline for double set point.

The Italian’s second break of the set sealed the 35-minute opener sending his support box, including sister Fulvia, leaping out of their seats.

The casual elegance Fognini exhibits in full flight can create some pulsating shotmaking. An eye-popping running backhand pass brought him to break point setting up a slap-shot forehand that buzzed Nishikori earning Fognini the break and a 2-0 lead.

The compact take back of his forehand combined with fast feet can make Fognini lethal on the move. He fired a forehand to save a break point then denied a second when Nishikori dragged a forehand into net. Curling a slider serve down the middle, Fognini finished a demanding hold for 4-1.




Unable to gain traction in baseline rallies, Nishikori tried attacking net but bumped a backhand volley into tape as Fognini broke for the fourth time.

On his second match point Fognini bolted a backhand down the line securing his second Masters semifinal.

 

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