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Month: April 2019

Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters: Fabio Fognini beats Dusan Lajovic

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/04/2019

Fabio Fognini became the first Italian to win an ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, defeating Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 38 minutes.

Prince Albert of Monaco congratulates Rolex Masters winner Fabio Fognini. Photo: Rolex Monte Carlo Masters

“I’m really, really happy. Nothing to say,” Fognini said. “I have to keep calm, maybe take a shower, relax, and think about this because it’s something incredible.”

The 13th seed converted four of five break points to become the lowest seeded player to lift the trophy since fellow No. 13 seed Gustavo Kuerten’s title run in 1999. Fognini will rise to a career-high No. 12 with the latest ATP Rankings published on Monday.

“I just feel happy because I won a big tournament that was always my goal in my career,” Fognini said. “I think everybody, when you’re growing up and you start and you decide to play tennis, you are dreaming to win a big tournament. We are talking about a Masters [1000].”

Prince Albert watched the thrilling match from the sidelines. Photo: Rolex Monte Carlo Masters

Fognini’s title in the Principality comes after a difficult start to the season. The nine-time tour-level titlist entered the Monte-Carlo Country Club with one win in his eight most recent tour-level encounters and had lost each of his four matches on clay this year.

Fognini’s journey to the trophy was packed with drama. The 31-year-old recovered from 4-6, 1-4 down in his first-round match against Russian qualifier Andrey Rublev and also overturned a 1-6, 0-2 deficit against Borna Coric in the quarter-finals.

Alongside comeback victories against Rublev and Coric, Fognini also defeated two Top 5 opponents in straight sets this week. The Italian upset World No. 3 Alexander Zverev to reach the quarter-finals and stunned 11-time champion Rafael Nadal in the last four. Fognini is the first player to defeat Nadal en route to a clay-court title since Pablo Cuevas’s triumph at the Rio Open presented by Claro in 2016.

After dropping his second service game on Court Rainier III, Fognini levelled the opening set at 2-2 with precision and power. The Italian flattened his backhand to push Lajovic behind the baseline and, following a well-placed drop shot, levelled the match with a forehand volley into the open court. Fognini moved into a 4-2 lead following multiple unforced errors from his opponent and grabbed the opening set after 44 minutes with his 12th winner of the set; a perfectly-timed backhand up the line.

Photo: Rolex Monte Carlo Masters

With his forehand proving to be a key factor in his semi-final win against Nadal, Fognini continued to enjoy success from that wing early in the opening stages of the second set. Fognini broke for a 3-2 lead with great defensive skill, retrieving balls from behind the baseline to extend points and extract errors from his opponent.

The 31-year-old maintained his advantage through to 5-4 and served with confidence to claim the title, converting his second match point as Lajovic mistimed his forehand return.

“I was preparing for the match as best I can because he has my ex-coach and I knew it was going to be really tough, a lot of running,” Fognini said. “[It’s an] incredible achievement. I’m really, really happy.”

As the lowest-ranked Monte-Carlo finalist since Hicham Arazi in 2001, Lajovic was bidding to become the first unseeded player to win in Monte-Carlo since Thomas Muster in 1992. The World No. 48 did not drop a set en route to his first ATP Tour final, defeating Malek Jaziri, David Goffin, Dominic Thiem, Lorenzo Sonego and Daniil Medvedev to record five straight tour-level victories for the first time in his career.

“Fabio is a guy who knows how to play in these conditions. He has great hands. He’s moving really well. So I was feeling on the court that I had to work much harder than him to win the points. I think this was the key,” Lajovic said. “He was pretty stable and solid from both sides, moving well. And when I was on and when I was aggressive, I was able to make points and put him under pressure. But at times, my game was just off.

“I had a lot of unforced errors. One thing was that it was windy. The other thing was I was under the pressure of the finals of the moment, and all together, I think he was the much better player today.”

Fognini earns 1000 ATP Rankings points and receives €958,055 in prize money. Lajovic gains 600 points and €484,950 for his run to the championship match.

Monaco Life talks to Samy Sass, owner of the iconic Sass Café

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/04/2019

Monaco Life sat down with Samy Sass at his newly renovated restaurant Sass Café to talk about what it takes to create a legend in Monaco, and keep it thriving for more than two decades. The secret, revealed Samy, is all in the DNA.

Samy, tell us about the new opening, why did you feel the need to update?

Sass has existed for 25 years. My father created it in 1993 and I started working with him in 1998. Every four to five years we have always given Sass a facelift, closing for a month or two to change a few things. But this update has been a lot of work. We have literally knocked down everything. We redid the kitchen because that was too small, we redid the back office and air conditioning, we improved the sound proofing because we live below 240 apartments and this area was never made for what it is today. Where we are sitting right now used to be a garden.

We closed from the beginning of December until the end of March. I used to have a professional decorator who would freshen it up, but this time I wanted to use someone who wasn’t from the industry. So I asked Tina Green, the wife of Sir Philip Green, to redo Sass. She said “This is not my job”, and I replied “that is the reason why I want you to do it!”

So together with Pietro Mingarelli, they have achieved what you see today. And since we opened we have only had amazing feedback. People are coming back, and that’s the most important thing.

© SASS CAFÉ – Fabbio

What is different about the new-look Sass Café?

We have given an upgrade to Sass, but the DNA is the same. People come and say “You haven’t changed anything!”, which is true and not true. But to some degree I am happy to hear that because it means we haven’t lost the DNA of Sass. It’s like we’ve moved from Business to First Class.

Sass is one of the very few family-run restaurant/bars in Monaco. Why is that important?

It’s important because when you go to a family business, it feels like you are part of the family. I want people to feel like they are at home here. My dad is turning 82 this year and he is still here every night, he has his own chair and table, and that makes it special. I feel the same if I go somewhere, I am happy to see the same people. Look I am not saying it’s all great because it is a very hard job. The business is really above you, you are not above the business. You are a prisoner of your business. Because if you take out my dad, with all due respect to all the staff here, but if you take out my dad and myself, it will change the vision. At the end of the day, we like to treat people like they are at home.

Tableware bares the image of the iconic founder Sassa

Let’s go back to the beginning. When was Sass Café born and what do you remember from those early days? 

I remember that it was a completely different time. Why did my father create this restaurant? Because he was going out a lot, every night, and at some point people told him “Sassa you should open your own bar!”. And so he thought, “Every time I am going out to dinner, we start at 9pm and finish at 11pm, then the nightclub is only good at 1am. There is nothing between dinner and the nightclubs”. So that’s why he decided to create something between. Then he introduced live music, which no one was doing apart from the Hôtel de Paris.

But what I remember is it was difficult, it took four years to get off the ground. What people don’t realise is that now, with social media, a place is famous before even opening. In the past when there was no social networking, the concierge at a hotel had an amazing role and I remember you would come down from the room and say to the concierge, “What should I do tonight?”. You don’t have that anymore. You ask them to book the restaurant for you that you already know about from social networks.

The luxurious interior was designed by Tina Green and Pietro Mingarelli

What are some of the standout moments for you? 

Every day could be something special at Sass, you can’t plan what is going to happen. For example, on a quiet Tuesday night my dad was standing outside and a woman showed up with this crazy hair, glasses, and a dress like the entrance of a gallery. It was Lady Gaga, and no one even knew she was in town, she just showed up. Michael Jordan comes here often, he is a very good friend, and while he’s sitting there Christiano Ronaldo turns up. I have a picture of it, two icons of Nike that had never met eachother before Sass. They partied together until 4 in the morning.

Bono comes here often, he is a very good friend. Sometimes he takes the microphone. Will Smith showed up for the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix once and he did a live performance for 40 minutes on the terrace.

So expect the unexpected. This is Sass, you never know what is going to happen. Of course, sometimes we know who is coming, but you never know exactly. We had Donald Trump’s son here last year for dinner, and his 45 security guys.

© SASS CAFÉ – Fabbio

I’m sure many people would like to know, how do you create a legend like Sass?

Hard work, first of all. Then our kitchen, it is not 10/10, it is not 5/10. We try to keep it 7/10, so normal food, normal prices. Then, which is very important for me, it is the atmosphere. I’d rather make less money but have a great atmosphere. If you come one night and its full and people are partying, then this is the best advertising. Also, the way we do the tables. They are very close together so we are always thinking about who we are putting next to who, whether they will match or not.

What was it like to have parents like Sassa and Yolande? 

They were rocking. My mum was pregnant with me dancing at Jimmyz the day before I was born. They are amazing, I am very lucky to have them.

A wave of new, trendy eateries are springing up all over Monaco. What sets Sass apart from the rest?

Once again, we are a family business. People sometimes come to Monaco with a new place and say they are going to get rid of Sass. But why? I don’t think like that. The more business there is in Monaco, the better it is for the Principality. People that come with that vibe, they’ve already lost. With all due respect, Sass cannot be replicated. How do I know that? Because we tried to franchise to Dubai and we couldn’t make it, it worked for a year and a half and then it failed. Today, Sass belongs to Monaco.

Can you tell us about the menu, can we expect something new? Are there any surprises in the new Sass?

The menu is about 80% the same. But like the deco, we have upgraded the food level too, so it’s gone from a 7 to 8/10.

But what I would like to share is that Tina and I took over the gallery next door, and a third of that gallery will be linked to Sass. In about eight months, it will open for lunch. So you can eat your meal surrounded by artwork, but it will only be available for 30 covers. At night, the space will be used as an extension of Sass or for private parties. It will be something very special and unique for Monaco.

SASS CAFÉ © Fabbio Galatioto

Top photo: Monaco Life Publisher Eric Brundage with Sass Café owner Samy Sass

 

 

 

PSG celebrate title win over Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
22/04/2019

Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick as Paris St Germain celebrated winning the Ligue 1 title with a 3-1 victory against Monaco.

Photo: AS Monaco

After failing to regain their crown in the past three matches, drawing one and losing two, PSG’s sixth title in the last seven seasons was confirmed prior to Sunday night’s game after Lille’s goalless draw at Toulouse earlier in the day.

It was not quite a party atmosphere at the Parc des Princes, owing to the fire this week at Notre Dame in Paris. PSG replaced the player names on the back of their shirts with the name of the cathedral while the front sported an image of the partially destroyed landmark.

During the pre-match warm-up, Mbappe greeted Paris firefighters and their children on the pitch.

Rony Lopes should have ruined PSG’s coronation by giving Monaco the lead after seven minutes but he scuffed his shot when through on goal, allowing Alphonse Areola to get a hand on the ball and make a save.

Mbappe punished his former club shortly afterwards, using his pace to get behind the visiting defence and on to Moussa Diaby’s perfectly-weighted pass before firing the ball past replacement goalkeeper Diego Benaglio and into the roof of the net.

Monaco responded well to falling behind and a sustained spell of possession inside the PSG half resulted in Aleksandr Golovin sending an effort narrowly wide.

A goal-line clearance from Marquinhos denied Martins a goal for Monaco and the PSG defender was at his best again shortly afterwards to nick the ball away from Carlos Vinicius as he looked to shoot.

Golovin could only head the ball over the crossbar when he should have hit the target at the very least but he got his goal with 10 minutes remaining, using his strength to hold off a defender before poking a low shot into the net from 12 yards.

“The game was pretty well balanced,” said ASM’s Leonardo Jardim. “Kylian Mbappé has shown his effectiveness, he’s the one who created the real difference in this game.”

“The future? For me it is the next games that we will play,” he continued. “I’m not worried, I know it’s a war that will be played until the end of the season.”

Press Association

 

Energy Forum is fast approaching

by: Cassandra Tanti
22/04/2019

The 4th Annual Energy Security Forum is scheduled to take place at the Yacht Club of Monaco this May. Held in partnership with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Aleksander Kwasniewski Foundation ‘Amicus Europae’ and the Atlantic Council of the United States, the forum brings together leading global policy makers and thought leaders, key energy market players and recognised industry experts advocating for energy security and sustainability, as well as promoting innovation and inclusion.

Over the course of only three years, Monaco Forum has united numerous public influencers and opinion leaders, including President of Latvia Raimonds Vējonis, President of Slovenia (2007-2012) Danilo Turk, Prime Minister of Italy (1996 – 1998, 2006 – 2008) Romano Prodi, Vice Chancellor of Germany (1998 – 2005), Joschka Fischer, Prime Minister of Belgium (1999-2008) Guy Verhofstandt, Director of the CIA’s Counterterrorist Centre (1999-2002) and Ambassador at Large for Counterterrorism Joseph Cofer Black, U.S. Senator for Louisiana Mary Landrieu, U.S. State Department’s Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs David L. Goldwyn, European Commissioner for Energy and Development (2004-2014) Andris Piebalgs and many others.

This year’s forum, to be held on 31st May, will see the likes of Prime Minister of Denmark (2001 – 2009) and NATO Secretary General (2009 – 2014) Anders Fogh Rasmussen, President of Poland (1995 – 2005) Aleksander Kwasniewski, Chancellor of Austria (2007 – 2008) Alfred Gusenbauer, President of Bulgaria (1997 – 2002) Petar Stoyanov, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center Ambassador John E. Herbst, Founding Chairman of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Centre Ambassador Dick Morningstar, Senior Fellow at the Institute of Statecraft and Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center Alan Riley, Senior Fellow at the Future of Diplomacy Project at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs, Vice Chair of the National Executive Committee at the U.S. Water Partnership and Former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky.

For more information, visit www.energysecurityforum.org

 

 

 

 

12 superyacht chefs shine in culinary competition

by: Cassandra Tanti
22/04/2019

The second annual culinary competition for superyacht chefs has been held and won at the Yacht Club of Monaco. This year’s event attracted an impressive line-up of participants and a very high caliber jury, who ultimately decided that a female chef was a cut above the rest.

Stéphanie Gravier from M/Y Planet 9 took out top place in the competition

Organised as part of La Belle Classe Academy training centre for those working in the luxury yacht sector, the Yacht Club of Monaco joined forces with Bluewater to organise the competition on 18th April. It was presided by Michelin-star chef Jacques Maximin and the jury comprised of top chefs including Virginie Basselot, Meilleure Ouvrier de Francewith one Michelin star for the Saint James in Paris, Marcel Ravin, another Michelin star and head chef at the Blue Bay Restaurant in Monaco, and Iberian Chef Pablo Albuerne, winner of the 2018 edition.

This year, 12 chefs from different nationalities competed, all working on superyachts over 40 metres in length, with seven flying the Yacht Club of Monaco flag: Mimtee (60m), Madame Kate (60m), E&E (42m), Polaris (50m), Rio Rita(59m), Willow (42m) and the emblematic Black Pearl (107m).

Supervised by the YCM’s Executive Chef Thierry Thiercelin, the contest was an opportunity for owners and gastronomy enthusiasts to watch chefs in action at workstations set up to reflect the limited space available in some yachts’ galleys.

The contest comprised four 30-minute rounds during each of which three chefs had to prepare an original dish based on a basket of mystery ingredients. These included veal mignon, sea bream, lobster, black radishes, vitellote potatoes, sweet peppers and cep mushrooms. Three chefs made it through to the final, they were Richard Cullen (M/Y Black Pearl, 107m), Stéphanie Gravier (M/Y Planet 9) and Bruno Chailan (M/Y Mimtee, 60m).

Joël Garault, the Michelin-star chef previously at the Vistamar, was behind the workstations to support and advise the three finalists who had 45 minutes to prepare an Easter-inspired main course with lamb, haricot beans and parmesan as the main ingredients, and a dessert based on grapefruit, mascarpone and crushed almonds. Encouraged by the jury and a throng of spectators, including the Prince’s Palace Chef Christian Garcia, owners and crew members, contestants had to concentrate hard, not only to meet the deadlines but produce creative, tasty dishes from ingredients they had only just had sight of.

At the end of an intense day, Stéphanie Gravier emerged as the winner: “I was so surprised, I never expected to win, especially as I finished at the very last minute. I love the concept of this competition and the fact all contestants are on a level playing field, whatever the size of the yacht they work on or their experience. And I am particularly proud to be the first lady to win this competition in a still masculine dominated profession. I hope to win more and encourage others to take up this vocation.”

The finalists won a selection of gifts while the winner has been given the opportunity to take control of the YCM kitchens for the next Captains’ Forum lunch.

The art of mixology

New for 2019 was a Mixology Competition, an initiative organised by the YCM’s head barman, Giorgio Rocchino, winner of Best Bartender in Italy and 3rd in Europe.

Nine candidates had just five minutes to mix and present a cocktail on a theme of the sea and its colours under strict rules. Three experts, Ettore Diana, Cocktail World Champion in 2012, Cristina Nonino from the Nonino grappa distillery and Giorgio Rocchino selected the finalists. Martin Stefan Ballas from the Riolo Termo institute took first prize with his cocktail based on Curaçao, grappa and lime called Principe Azzuro in honour of HSH Prince Albert II, followed by Shirley Mortier from the Yacht Club of Monaco with her Libertad cocktail, and lastly Alessia Mirabelli from the Nino Bergese institute who came third and also won the Best Technique prize for his original cocktail. A prize for best garnish went to Luca Perugina from the Riolo Terme institute for his inventive and colourful creation.

Shirley Mortier from the Yacht Club of Monaco won second place with her Libertad cocktail


“The sea theme immediately gave me the idea for my Libertad cocktail,” said Shirley, a young barmaid at the YCM, “as for me the sea is freedom and I imagined a bird that I sculpted out of a lemon as a garnish. I am very proud to represent the Yacht Club of Monaco at this contest. The fact I am competing ‘at home’ gave me strength as I was cheered on by all my colleagues, although it also added to the pressure.”

“We want to position Monaco as a centre of excellence in the Luxury Yachting sector, including training. When an owner buys a boat, getting good crew is their major concern,” commented YCM General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri.

Through these two events, the YCM intends to promote its La Belle Classe Academy which offers two specialist modules: ‘Destination Barman’ and ‘Chef Training’ for superyacht crew members and yachting professionals, designed to meet the most demanding requirements of yacht owners and their guests.

 

The 10th World Circus Day celebrated in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
22/04/2019

The World Circus Federation, under the patronage of Princess Stephanie, has celebrated the 10th World Circus Day.

©Frédéric Nebinger

Saturday 20th April marked a very special and emblematic day for the industry. World Circus Day was conceived and created by the World Circus Federation in 2009 and takes place annually on the third Saturday of April to promote the circus and its various disciplines and culture.

The 10th edition broke all records with over 200 events around the world.

The International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo once again paid tribute to the circus arts by celebrating the special occasion under the world-famous Big Top in Monaco.