TennisSection previews the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters as Fabio Fognini (15) meets Casper Ruud in the Quarter-finals on Friday, April 16th 2021.
Will Casper Ruud be able to make it 3 upsets in a row here at the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters as he looks to make his maiden Masters 1000 Semi-Final? Will Fabio Fognini keep his title defence dreams alive as he is yet to lose a set here in Monaco? Both players have dominated their side of the draw up until now, but only one will make their way to the Semi-finals. Who will it be?
Fabio Fognini cruised through his match against Filip Krajinovic in the Third Round, beating the very experienced Serbian in straight sets 6-2/7-6(1). Fognini was ready to give it his best right from the start in the match and he did just that in style. Fabio Fognini, when motivated, is so hard to beat, just ask some of the best players in the world like Rafael Nadal, and in Monte Carlo, he always brings out his best. Fabio is now into the Quarter-finals, giving himself a very good chance to get himself close to defending his title here at the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters. However, Fognini will now face his toughest challenge in a very in form, young, and energetic Casper Ruud who has caused 2 upsets in a row in Monaco.
Casper Ruud put on a very solid performance in the Third Round, beating the very experienced and in form Pablo Carreno Busta in 3 sets 7-6(4)/5-7/7-5. Casper Ruud is on a roll here at the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters and he has beaten some of the best players in the world without hesitation. Ruud, in these clay-court conditions, is definitely a star for the future as he was brought up to play like his idol, Rafael Nadal, in these tournaments. Casper Ruud still has a long way to go to become a mainstay player in tournaments of ATP 500 and 1000 size, but he is definitely on his way and improving every day. He will now look to cause his 3rd upset in a row as he meets the defending Champion Fabio Fognini.
Fabio Fognini and Casper Ruud have met 2 times before, with Casper Ruud having won both their prior encounters. The last time they met was on clay in the Second Round of the 2020 Hamburg Open where Ruud won in straight sets 6-3/6-3. This is definitely going to be a tight match, because I think that if he starts to get things going his way, he might push Fabio off of his level. However, when they had previously met, the tournaments were not as important as the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters, and Fabio Fognini was not the defending champion. Here, I think Fabio will be ready for a very tough battle and will be ready to give it his best to ensure he makes his way to the Semi-finals.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Fabio Fognini to Win.
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