Davidovich Fokina into maiden Masters final in Monte Carlo / Photo: © AFP
Davidovich Fokina into maiden Masters final in Monte Carlo
Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina reached his first Masters final on Saturday with a three-set victory over Grigor Dimitrov in Monte Carlo.
The 46th-ranked Spaniard, who stunned world number one Novak Djokovic earlier in the tournament, held his nerve to claim a 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3 win over the experienced Bulgarian.
"It was a difficult match. I had my chances in the second set, but Grigor played well and I was tired," said the 22-year-old Spaniard.
"I kept fighting, I wanted to see where my limits were."
He will face either second seeded Olympic champion Alexander Zverev or 2021 Monte Carlo winner Stefanos Tsitsipas, the third seed, in Sunday's final.
It was a roller-coaster afternoon for Davidovich Fokina who was a set and then 4-2 and 5-3 ahead in the second.
But a sudden slump saw him win just three of the next 12 points with two double faults as Dimitrov hit back.
He then trailed 2-0 in the decider before racking up five straight games for 5-2.
An ace on a second match point gave him victory.
(C.Fontaine--LPdF)
