Fognini defeats Monfils in drama-packed French Open match
It was a match that will surely be remembered as the strangest of this year’s French Open, with part of it played in near darkness, and one Fabio Fognini will remember it as perhaps the most dramatic victory of his career so far.
Fognini and Gael Monfils were locked in a tense battle on a rain-interrupted day four in Paris, with scores level at two sets apiece and 4-4 in the deciding fifth set when the fading light on centre court surely dictated that it was time for the players to call it a day, and resume their hostilities the next day.
That seemed to be the approach the Italian seemed to prefer, but Monfils was adamant the show would go on, and it was the Frenchman who got his way on Wednesday night, and Fognini was penalised a point for his stalling tactics.
“It was a difficult question. It was four all during the fifth set and a lot of tension,” Fognini said, explaining the confusion on Wednesday night. “The supervisor walked on the court and he said, ‘Do you want to continue or stop?’ He [Monfils] wanted to continue, and I said, ‘Okay, we'll continue’.
“If we can finish the match, is it only two games to play? He said, ‘We're going to continue and we'll play two games’. I said, ‘Well, for me that's okay. Two games is okay’. If I lose this, he's going to serve for the match, and then what's going to happen then? We are going to stop now, or will we continue until who knows?”
After it was decided to continue play, Fognini held serve, and the decision to play on almost cost Monfils the match in the next game when he was forced to save three match points against his serve before common sense prevailed and the players were called off the court at just before 10pm, and tied at 5-5 in the fifth.
The arm-wrestle continued for six more games when the pair finally made their way back onto Philippe Chatrier Court on day five, with the Italian being greeted by the boos of a clearly partisan crowd as he returned to the court.
The world No. 92 held his nerve and his serve, after being down a break point in the first game of the day, before finally securing the match-winning break in the 16th game of the deciding set, and claiming a come-from-behind 2-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 9-7 victory.
“It's a great match. Look at the score. It's an incredible match. The first time I've won such a match with such a crowd on the grand court. I must say I'm very happy,” Fognini said after knocking out the French No. 2 at his home Grand Slam.
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