Top-ranked Novak Djokovic overcame a strong challenge from Rafael Nadal to reach the Monte Carlo Masters final with a 6-3, 6-3 win on Saturday. Sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych beat Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-4 in the other semifinal.
Nadal showed glimpses of his old self, mixing aggression and superb defensive shots. But, the Spaniard was not consistent enough to deny Djokovic a shot at his fourth Masters title in a row.
Berdych took control from the baseline, and Monfils struggled to cope with the pace of the big-hitting Czech.
Monfils won just 11 points in a lopsided first set before he changed strategy, using the slice to break his opponent’s rhythm. The move paid off early in the second set when Monfils broke back to level at 1-1.
Monfils failed to build on the momentum though, dropping his next service game, and Berdych rode out the advantage to victory.
The results:
Semifinals: Novak Djokovic bt Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-3; Tomas Berdych bt Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-4.
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