Paris: Fabio Fognini on Sunday registered his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title win as he defeated Serbian Dusan Lajovic in the Monte Carlo final.
Fognini triumphed 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 38 minutes - having come into the tournament without having won a match on clay this season.
Lajovic of Serbia broke early on, but Fognini, the 13th seed, won most of the key points on his way to what was a straightforward success.
Also, Fognini won three games in a row and he held off Lajovic to seal the opening set. It was the first set the Serbian conceded in the tournament.
Lajovic failed to recover in the second set and Fognini made full use of the opportunity, winning the second set and thereby winning the match to clinch the title.
"I am really, really happy. Nothing to say. I have to keep calm, maybe take a shower, relax, and think about this because it's something incredible," Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) quoted Fogini as saying.
"I just feel happy because I won a big tournament that was always my goal in my career. I think everybody, when you're growing up and you start and you decide to play tennis, you are dreaming to win a big tournament. We are talking about a Masters 1000," he added.
Interestingly, Fognini had beaten Rafael Nadal on his way to the final and became the first Italian to win a Masters series event.
