Rafael Nadal Defeats Fabio Fognini to Advance to QF at 2021 Australian Open

Rafael Nadal is moving on to the quarterfinals of the 2021 Australian Open following a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Fabio Fognini on Monday in Melbourne.  

This is the fifth straight year Nadal has navigated his way to the quarters in the tournament, and he has failed to reach this stage only twice since 2006. He missed the 2013 Australian Open and lost in the first round in 2016.

Fognini upset Nadal in the third round of the 2015 U.S. Open. Referencing the victory at the time, he said you "have to risk" and "have to attack him when you have the chance" when facing off against the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

Early on, it looked like Nadal was on his way toward a straightforward victory. He dropped serve in the fifth game of the first set but built a 5-2 lead anyway thanks to a pair of service breaks.

Fognini referenced the need to gamble against Nadal, and he did just that in the opening frame. The Italian hit some masterful groundstrokes and compiled 14 winners, five more than his opponent. However, his approach also saw him pile up 11 unforced errors.

The roles reversed to start the second set. Fognini looked more assured, and his aggressive strategy allowed him to dictate more points.

With a service break in the sixth game, Fognini jumped ahead 4-2 and seemed to be firmly in the driver's set. Instead, he unraveled. Nadal took the next four games to claim the set. After falling behind 5-4, Fognini hit a ball into the stands out of frustration.

In that aforementioned U.S. Open match, Fognini lost the first two sets before mounting an incredible comeback. If he did it once, then maybe he could do it again.

Having lost his focus to close out the second set, the 33-year-old regained his composure a bit more as the third got underway. While serving at 1-1, though, he dumped a forehand from the baseline into the net to gift Nadal another service break.

Nadal wasn't at his best, but he only needed to extend points long enough for Fognini to make mistakes. The resistance Fognini showed earlier in the match was nowhere to be found as too many of his shots sailed long or failed to make it into Nadal's half.

In his newest quest for a second Australian Open title, Nadal has yet to drop a set. That bodes well given how much the COVID-19 pandemic hampered training for everybody taking part in the tournament. The 34-year-old hasn't had to expend a wealth of energy, so he should be more than ready when he faces a tougher test than the one he encountered Monday.

What's Next?

Nadal will meet either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Matteo Berrettini in the round of eight. He's 6-1 against Tsitsipas and beat Berrettini at the U.S. Open in their only head-to-head meeting to date.

Stats are courtesy of the Australian Open's official site