‘Coaching or not coaching, that’s a big problem,” Stefanos Tsitsipas accused of receiving coaching during the game by Fabio Fognini at the Monte Carlo Masters

‘Coaching or not coaching, that’s a big problem,” Stefanos Tsitsipas accused of receiving coaching during the game by Fabio Fognini at the Monte Carlo Masters

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Fabio Fognini

The ATP tour till now has been an exhilarating ride for tennis fans all over the globe. But now, attention has shifted to clay, the equations have changed slightly. The recent action on the Monte Carlo Masters saw defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas fight it out against Italy’s Fabio Fognini in the second round of the tournament. 

Tsitsipas, who calls Monaco his home, breezed past Fognini as he won 6-3, 6-0 and progressed to the third round. But the win was hardly the highlight of the second round clash. During the match, there were constant noises heard from Tsitsipas’ player box which visibly irked Fognini. The Italian even made his emotions felt as he told the chair umpire who took no action against the Greek star. 

Eventually, Tsitsipas wrapped the second round clas in just an hour and 10 minutes and sailed through to the third round where his opponent is yet to be decided. 

But after the match ended Fognini took to Instagram and posted, “Coaching or not coaching… That’s a big problem. Right [ATP Tour]?”  It was surely regarding the constant noises that were being heard from his opponent, Stefanos Tsitsipas’ player box and according to the Italian, it was his father who was giving suggestions to the defending champion during the second-round clash. 

People expected this game to be very close and interesting given Fabio Fognini’s experience and his prowess on clay courts. But Tsitsipas simply outplayed him and at times the Italian hardly had answers. 

Can Stefanos Tsitsipas defend his Monte Carlo Masters title?

Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas

Tsitsipas was very satisfied with his performance as he started off his Monte Carlo Masters campaign with a win against a tricky opponent. Although he outplayed Fognini, he might know how good the Italian can be on his day. “I was able to really perform close to my best and deliver the result that I did. Nevertheless, I was still able to generate some good pace and create some good angles which gave me a lot of points,” he said after winning the match. 

It has been a decent year for Tsitsipas as he reached the semifinals in the Australian Open and followed it up with performances at Rotterdam where he lost o Felix Auger-Aliassime in the finals. He reached the semifinals in Mexico aswell. He did not have a great Indian Wells and Miami Open, in Miami he at least tried his best but was beaten by the eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the round o 16 whereas in Indian Wells he went out in the opening rounds. 

But now his favourite clay court season is here and Tsitsipas will consider himself a favourite to win the Monte Carlo Masters yet again. With no Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev around and Novak Djokovic already knocked out, Tsitsipas becomes a heavy favourite to defend his Monte Carlo title. 

Also Read: “I’ve known much more hostile environments” Novak Djokovic talks about the crowd in his comeback match at Monte-Carlo Masters