Fabio Fognini of Italy won the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, defeating Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 38 minutes.  Following up on his fabulous victory over Rafael Nadal in the semis, Fognini converted four of his five break points against Lajovic to win the title.

Fognini also became the first Italian to win an ATP Masters 1000 title.  He will move to a career high ranking of 12 in the new ATP rankings. Fognini also became the lowest seeded player to win the trophy since Gustavo Keurten in 1999.

“I’m really, really happy. Nothing to say,” Fognini said. “I have to keep calm, maybe take a shower, relax, and think about this because it’s something incredible.”

It wasn’t an easy week for Fognini though.  The 31-year-old recovered from 4-6, 1-4 down in his first-round match against Russian qualifier Andrey Rublev.  He also overcame a 1-6, 0-2 deficit against Borna Coric in the quarter-finals.

But Fognini was impressive in his win over Rafael Nadal in the semi final winning 6-4, 6-2.  Nadal was almost bageled in the second set, a feat that has not happened since 2007.  The 11-time champion struggled throughout the match, leaving the ball short and allowing his opponent to hit winners on the slow surface.