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By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, April 16, 2021

 
Casper Ruud

Casper Ruud defeated defending Monte-Carlo champion Fabio Fognini 6-4, 6-3 to roll into his second straight Masters clay-court semifinal.

Photo credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters

Unloading his twisting topspin forehand with the menace of a man trying to drive divots in the dirt, Casper Ruud continues to make a major mark in Masters events.

Ruud ripped his forehand with accuracy and ambition defeating defending Monte-Carlo champion Fabio Fognini 6-4, 6-3 to roll into his second straight Masters clay-court semifinal.

More: Gritty Evans Sets Up Monte-Carlo Semifinal vs. Tsitsipas

The 2020 Rome semifinalist scored his third win over Fognini in as many meetings sweeping all six sets they've played. 

Tennis Express

The scoreline looks straight forward but this quarterfinal was a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

Deadlocked at 4-all, Ruud navigated the breezy, chilly conditions with more care sparking a five-game surge to break open the match. Ruud was a point away from a 6-4, 4-0 lead when Fognini fired back to level the second set. Ruud weathered the storm and has now won eight of his last nine Masters clay-court matches with his lone defeat coming to world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the 2020 Rome final.




The 22-year-old Ruud, who trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca and hits with the king of clay, will face either 11-time champion Nadal or red-hot Andrey Rublev for a spot in the final.

"I just have to well prepare like it's the toughest challenge of my career so far," Ruud said. "I'm sure it will be. But I've gained good confidence from this week. I've beaten good players the last matches.

"I have to try to find a way to believe that I can win. Tomorrow there has to be one winner of the match, and hopefully it can be me. I will try to relax and get a lot of energy for tomorrow and think that it's a little bit now or never."

Cold, windy conditions required both men to adjust depending on whether they were hitting against the wind or into the stiff breeze. Ruud plays with heavier topspin on the forehand and made the right adjustments giving his shots more air when required and stepping in to flatten out drives when he drew mid-court balls.

A diagonal forehand opened court and Ruud ripped a crosscourt winner for set point and his first break point since the opening game.

Tightening up, Fognini didn't get enough angle or pace on his second serve and paid the price as Ruud ran around a backhand and lasered a flashy forehand return down the line sealing the 55-minute first set.

Ruud recovered from love-30 midway through the set, saved all four break points he faced and won 12 of 16 second-serve points in the opening set.

When Fognini is on the shots flow with casual elegance and when he's off his game resembles casual indifference.

The former world No. 9 checked out mentally in his opening game of the second set.

Misfiring a forehand long, Fognini fell into a triple break-point hole. Then he brain cramped. Incorrectly assuming a Ruud lob would float wide, Fognini was forced to play a tweener. He eventually worked his way to net where Ruud rapped a backhand pass to break for 2-0.

Muttering to himself in disgust between points, Fognini faced three break points in the fourth game with a spree of shotmaking disdain. Thumping his forehand with more vigor, Fognini dodged the dilemma blocking a volley for 1-3.

That escape act pumped up Fognini, who began to find the Ruud backhand with more frequency. The defending champion drew successive errors breaking back in the fifth game.

On crucial points, Ruud made sounder decisions. Fognini squandered a 40-love lead in the eighth game. Ruud stepped into the corner and froze Fognini with a clean crosscourt forehand winner breaking for 5-3.

The 33-year-old Italian earned a break point and was in charge of a crosscourt exchange when he sailed a forehand well long. Ruud held his nerve and completed his mission as a Fognini return collided with the tape and fell wide capping a 96-minute quarterfinal.

 

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