Matteo Berrettini: Fabio Fognini performed unbelievably against Rafa Nadal
Rising Italian star Matteo Berrettini was happy to see fellow compatriot Fabio Fognini making a splash at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Fognini, 31, won his maiden Masters 1000 title last week after an outstanding campaign on the clay courts of Monte Carlo.
The Italian handed a straight-set defeat to Serb Dusan Lajovic in the final but the highlight of his Monte Carlo campaign was a surprise 6-4 6-2 semi-final win over 17-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.
The 31-year-old's Monte Carlo campaign also included big wins over world No. 3 Alexander Zverev and 15th-ranked Borna Coric respectively.
However, all of that would have never happened hadn't Fognini overturned a 6-4 4-1 deficit against rising Russian star Andrey Rublev in the first round.
"He (Fognini) improved with every match. Rafa, which was an unbelievable performance. I am really happy for him as well as for Italian tennis in general," Berrettini exclusively told Tennis TourTalk.
Meanwhile, Barrettini opened his 2019 clay season last week with debuting at the Monte Carlo event.
The Italian, who was handed a tough draw, didn't have a memorable Monte Carlo debut as he lost to 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov in the first round.
However, world No. 55 Berrettini put an early Monte Carlo exit behind him as he has started well his campaign in Budapest.
The Italian beat Mikhail Kukushkin in the first round on Monday to set up a second-round meeting against Slovenian Aljaz Bedene.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2DuT7kU
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