Upset Alert! BNP PARIBAS OPEN 2014 Dolgopolov Stuns Nadal, Fognini Saves 2 M.P. Indian Wells, U.S.A. by Staff Alexandr Dolgopolov registered the upset of the tournament when he stunned World No. 1 and defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) on Monday at the BNP Paribas Open . It was Dolgopolov’s first victory over Nadal, having dropped all 10 sets played in five previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings. The Ukrainian scored his second win over a Top 5 opponent in less than a month after springing the upset over David Ferrer in the Rio de Janeiro semi-finals. I feel great, as after every win, of course, said Dolgopolov. I beat the defending champion and the No. 1 in the world. The Kiev native recovered after being broken in the opening game of the match, eventually capturing the first set on his second set point when Nadal struck a forehand long. The Spaniard would break in the sixth game of the second set, leveling the match and forcing a deciding set. Dolgopolov appeared to be well on his way to the victory after consolidating for a 5-2 advantage in the third set, but was broken at love while serving for the match a game later. The former World No. 13 held his nerve after Nadal reeled off 10 straight points, forcing a tie-break. After rallying from a mini-break deficit, Dolgopolov fired an ace to claim victory on his first match point — or so he thought. A dramatic hawkeye overrule briefly left the door open for Nadal, but the No. 28 seed slammed it shut, hitting an inside-out forehand for the win. Nadal was denied a ninth consecutive semi-final result in the Coachella Valley. It was his second defeat of the year after succumbing to Stanislas Wawrinka in the Australian Open final. Dolgopolov will next face Fabio Fognini in a rematch of their Rio quarter-final. It will be his second Round of 16 appearance in Indian Wells in four trips to the desert. Fognini saved two match points in a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 win over Frenchman Gael Monfils at the BNP Paribas Open , and could next face defending champion Rafael Nadal , who plays Alexandr Dolgopolov later Monday. The lead seesawed between the two players in the third set. Fognini fell behind first, won four straight games to pull ahead 4-2, then lost the next three to give Monfils the chance to serve out the match. Monfils held two match points, but could not deliver, ultimately conceding his advantage with a double fault. The Italian won the final three games, breaking Monfils at love for the victory. Fognini also went the distance in his other two wins over Monfils, prevailing in a 9-7 fifth set at the 2010 French Open and in a third set tie-break last year in the Umag semi-finals.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 05:19:25 +0000