Top seed Rafael Nadal and Gael Monfils both struggled on their least-favourite surface — grass — before setting up a semifinal at the Stuttgart Open on Friday.
Nadal needed almost two and a half hours to defeat fifth seed Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3, beating the Australian for the third time and in their first meeting on grass.
He could have won in straight sets after going up a break in the second and holding a 4-2 lead in the tiebreaker which was eventually won by Tomic, who saved match-point with an ace. In the third set, Nadal saved two break points in the seventh game before winning on his second match-point two games later.
Gael Monfils fired 17 aces in a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 quarterfinal victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Monfils took 44 minutes to claim the opening set before his opponent levelled in the second. The Frenchman got an early break of serve in the third to ensure victory in just under two hours on court.
The results: At Stuttgart (Mercedes Cup): Quarterfinals: Rafael Nadal bt Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3; Gael Monfils by Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; Viktor Troicki bt Sam Groth 7-6(3), 6-1.
Second round: Marin Cilic by Matthias Bachinger 7-6(2), 6-3.
Doubles: Quarterfinals: Rohan Bopanna & Florin Mergea bt Mate Pavic & Michael Venus 7-6(5), 6-2.
’s—Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands (TopShelf Open): Quarterfinals: Robin Haase bt Ivo Karlovic 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3); Nicolas Mahut bt Adrian Mannarino 6-1, 6-3.
