By Tennis Now | Friday, April 18, 2019

Fabio Fognini beat Alexander Zverev to the ball, befuddled him with finesse and bounced the world No. 3 out of Monte-Carlo.

Exhorted by an enthusiastic and loud crowd, Fognini toppled the third-seeded Zverev, 7-6 (6), 6-1, to charge into his fifth career Masters quarterfinal on the red clay of the Monte-Carlo Country Club.

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The 13th-seeded Italian is bidding for his first Monte-Carlo semifinal since 2013. Fognini will face Borna Coric for a place in the final four. 

The ninth-seeded Coric swept Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 6-4, 6-2. In their lone meeting five years ago, Fognini edged Coric, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Winless in four prior sets vs. Zverev, Fognini hit a flying smash to take the opening-set tie breaker with a massive fist pump.

Taking the ball earlier than the lanky German, Fognini delivered the knock-out in the second set reaching his first Masters quarterfinal since the 2018 Rome.

Former Rome champion Zverev continued to struggle.

Zverev has reached just one quarterfinal in six tournaments this season, falling to Nick Kyrgios in the Acapulco final last month.