In an interview Dominic Thiem commented on his feelings heading into the Monte Carlo Masters. The Austrian player said: "It was still a nice week in Monte Carlo, I lost to Dusan, the finalist, it was a good match. I come with good feelings in Barcelona, but I was fine, I practiced well, i watched Barcelona matches, walked there as well so I enjoyed my time." Commenting furthermore on his loss to Lajovic, Thiem added: "The things I did not good in Monte Carlo, it was tough to play there because of the wind so we are having practice sessions here in tricky conditions which is good maybe and the most important thing is to get as many points on the clay courts now." On his new co-operation with coach Nicolas Massu, Thiem added: "It's working out very well, very good intensity, I am having a lot of fun on the court and the big thing is that he played most of the players I face now so he knows some good tactics for them and it's working out well. It's pretty unpredictable now, I have to prepare well for every match. The level is very high and it's very tough to go deep in these tournaments." On Rafael Nadal's loss to Fabio Fognini in Monte Carlo, Thiem concluded: "It does not change anything. He is still the favorite in these events for sure but it may be opens up a little bit. He was seen as unpredictable, it may no longer be like this."<doc-sep>Italian Fabio Fognini said he was hoping to do 'something big' at home as he beat France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the second round of the Italian Open in Rome on Monday. Rome: Italian Fabio Fognini said he was hoping to do "something big" at home as he beat France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the second round of the Italian Open in Rome on Monday. Tenth seed Fognini, who became the first Italian to triumph at Monte Carlo in 51 years last month, reached the quarter-finals in Rome last year before falling to champion Rafael Nadal in three sets. "I'm happy, of course, happy because especially for me here, it's always tough to play," said the 31-year-old, who came through on the red clay of the Foro Italico in 83 minutes. "To play a first round against Jo was really tough match, because of course he was injured. He had surgery on the knee. "At the same time I knew that it could be really dangerous," Fognini said. Tsonga, now ranked 92nd, missed much of 2018 after knee surgery. The Frenchman, had won four of the pair's five meetings, but was broken in each set, with Fognini saving five of the six break points. Fognini will next play either Moldovan Radu Albot, who beat him at Indian Wells, or French qualifier Benoit Paire. The Italian could break into the top ten for the first time depending on his performance in Rome. "I came in here with my best ranking... it's not too far from the Top 10. "The way I am playing, I feel confident," Fognini said. "I know that if I play like that I can do something big. But at the same time I know that it's difficult, every day is different, every match is different. Every match, it's really complicated." French 15th seed Gael Monfils crashed out in straight sets to Spaniard Alberto Ramos 6-3, 6-1. Monfils had his knee bandaged during the second set before being swept aside by 88th-ranked Ramos. "There's no explication. Today I just had a bad match. I wasn't in it, I didn't have energy," said Monfils. Canadian Denis Shapovalov beat Spaniard Pablo Carreño-Busta 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) to advance to the second round. Shapovalov, 20, will next play world number one and Madrid Open champion Novak Djokovic. Defending Rome champion Nadal will have to wait to learn his second round opponent with the match between Richard Gasquet and fellow Frenchman Jeremy Chardy called off because of rain on Monday night at one set all 1-6, 6-4. Nadal will be targeting a ninth title at the Italian Open before defending his Grand Slam crown at Roland Garros later this month. Spain's formerly invincible king of clay — who in most years would have at least clay title to hand upon arrival at Roland Garros — will have a last chance in Rome to pick up a trophy "Sometimes winning a title or not doesn't make a big difference," insisted 11-time French Open winner. "I didn't win a title. At the same time it's true that when I was playing, I was close to winning it. "I didn't play good enough to win, but I didn't play very bad. I am there. "I have been in four semi-finals in a row, since Indian Wells. But that's it. That's tennis: Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."<doc-sep>
Dominic Thiem feels pleased with his straight-set win over Rafael Nadal in the Barcelona Open semifinals. In a press conference, the Austrian player said: “I'm always super proud if I beat him because he's the best player ever on this surface, and it's always very special to beat him here on clay. We always had great matches in the past, and also today was very good and I was more lucky today and I got the win. One of my best matches, unbelievable performance, he is the best player ever on the surface, it's his court and it always requires outstanding performance. I do not know if it was the best ever but it was definitely one of the best." Thiem will seek his first title in Barcelona after losing the 2017 final to Nadal: “It's such a traditional tournament. I loved to play the finals here two years ago, and of course I try to go one step further tomorrow. But Daniil Medvedev is I think in the best shape of his life. If I see the names of who won here, this tournament, of course I would love to be there as well." "After the match it always feel great and special to beat him on clay and even on other surfaces. But as I said before, my tactics against him was not that different because it requires a great performance, being on the offence more times because when you let him play aggressive, you are only gonna lose. So you have to dictate rallies."