Spanish tennis, with Rafael Nadal injured and Carlos Alcaraz eliminated at the first change, places the first finalist of the Monte Carlo Masters 1000. Alexander Davidovich Fokinafrom Malaga of Russian origin, barely 22 years old and some noteworthy flats, qualified for the match for the title in the Principality, completing a colossal performance against Grigor Dimitrov in which he dressed as a veteran to overcome one of the circuit’s classics in an authentic thriller. The victory against Djokovic was no accident and Foki, as he calls himself, will fight for one of the best ATP tournaments on Sunday against Zverev or Tsitsipas. The dream lives on.
All passion in his tennis, Davidovich he knew how to temper the nerves in the most important game of his sports career. At stake, the passage to its first final of Masters 1000 and the pressure shared with a down-on-his-luck genius like Grigor Dimitrov. The Bulgarian, despite his ascendancy on the circuit, in which no one doubts his quality, was far from enjoying favoritism in a consensual way, something that if it happened to Djokovic or Zverev – in the quarterfinals of the past Roland Garros – against Foki. On this occasion, the Russian-Malagueño had to fight against a real goal, to get into the Monte Carlo final.
perfect day in Principality. Sun, almost no wind and full stands to watch the Davidovich warrior play against the resurrection of Dimitrov. Duel of styles and a counterpoint to start that would mark the contest. Cold as ice, Alexander He had designed the tactic with his coaching staff and it was based on long exchanges and blows, one after another and without haste, directed at his rival’s reverse.
Foki chose to subtract, scored first and second, broke serve from Dimitrov with a break that would be key. Davidovichas expected, showed physical superiority, but it was mentally what led him to get closer to the final in a first set in which there were no more breaks. Foki, the so many times branded as crazy and temperamental, scored the first sleeve with a serious face and not at all doubtful. A man on a mission.
The reaction was expected Grigormuch more accustomed to competing in these instances, but his downhill, slowed down in Monte Carlo, gave him the pressure to win against a new young emerging talent. Dimitrov would start by breaking the serve Davidovich in a fit of courage and stuck with her right, but Foki He neutralized it based on patience and a more than deserving variety with the two-handed backhand.
Davidovich can not close
Once tied, the machine from Malaga did not want to stop heading for the final. Foki He did not change his face other than to raise the public with the celebration of his second consecutive break in the second set, although nerves and mistakes betrayed him with the possibility of closing with a favorable 5-4 and serve. The game went to a tie-break and there the experience of Dimitrovmore solid than ever at the same time that Alejandro deflated, possibly the result of everything previously lost.
The third set would decide the winner and Dimitrov He arrived thrown and apparently not tired at all to the decision. Talented like very few in the last decade, the setback began to work for him until he closed winners that raised the public, where although he continued to encourage Davidovichthere was beginning to be a division of opinions because the show, it must be said, had already been in charge of his rival for minutes.
crack comeback
The domain was translated to the scoreboard with a first break and about a second. A quarter of an hour of play, the third, which could have sentenced Davidovich but he would end up getting him fully into the game, although for this he would have to ask for the physio. Once serviced, Foki completed the machada and broke the serve of Dimitrov to tie again at two games in the thriller that the semi-final had become.
takeoff of Davidovich he had feigned and been embittered in a crazy second set that did not dent the morale of a physically strong tennis player and now also mentally. The Russian-born Malaga native who amuses the circuit and the spectator broke again at the key moment, mixing temperament and calm, the essence of what gave him the first set and what has given him a name in world tennis. A new break came to the match, which was going to continue circulating until confirming the victory of the tennis player who defeated Djokovicdid the same with the recent champions Fritz Y Goffin and now tomb Grigor Dimitrov to get a ticket to the final of the Masters 1000 of Monte Carlo.
