Kei Nishikori came through his fourth three-setter in five matches this week on Saturday to become the first player from Japan to reach the final of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, which first began in 1897.

Nishikori knocked out third-seeded German and Monte-Carlo resident Alexander Zverev in a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 semi-final victory that lasted two hours and 13 minutes. Nishikori had previously lost to Zverev in the Citi Open semi-finals at Washington, D.C. in July 2017.

The 28-year-old Nishikori will now contest his fourth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final (0-3) and his first since August 2016 at the Rogers Cup in Montreal (l. to Djokovic). He will play 10-time champion Rafael Nadal in Sunday’s championship match at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. Incidentally, World No. 1 Nadal returned to a practice court on Saturday afternoon after his 6-4, 6-1 semi-final win over Grigor Dimitrov, ahead of his bid to capture a record 31st Masters 1000 crown.

Nadal leads Nishikori 9-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, including two clay-court final wins at the 2014 Mutua Madrid Open (when Nishikori injured his back) and at the 2016 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. Nishikori did win the pair’s last match 6-2, 6-7(1), 6-3 on a hard court at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Nishikori hit his first double fault on game point at 3-3, then began to lose his concentration. Zverev capitalised to break, after Nishikori committed a third successive error, and went on to secure the first set that lasted 38 minutes, when his Japanese opponent struck a forehand long.

While Zverev recovered an 0-2 deficit in the second set with three straight games, the German struggled for service consistency and was broken on three occasions. At 3-5, 15/40, a stray forehand cost Zverev the set. It meant that Zverev would contest his fourth straight three-setter this week (Muller, Struff, Gasquet), while Nishikori was going the distance for the fourth time (Berdych, Seppi, Cilic) in five matches.

Each player saved two break points in their first service games of the decider and Nishikori later showcased his great hands, with a cute forehand volley at 3-3, Ad Out, en route to winning a 10-minute seventh game. Nishikori completed his 10th match win of the year when a deep return was hooked wide by Zverev, who had reached last month’s Miami Open presented by Itaú final (l. to Isner).

The 21-year-old Zverev, now 17-7 on the season, had been attempting to become the first player from his country to reach the final since Boris Becker, who had been present at the tournament this week, finished as runner-up for the third time in 1995 (also 1989, 1991). Gottfried von Cramm remains the only German to lift the trophy, doing so on two occasions in 1936 and 1937.

Did You Know?
Kei Nishikori is appearing in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters for just the second time. He last played in Monaco in 2012, falling in the Round of 16 (l. to Berdych).

Is an 11^th Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title in the cards for Rafael Nadal? You wouldn’t have been blamed for wondering aloud that prediction before this week in Monte-Carlo, and, given this week’s proceedings, no one will fault you for thinking that now as well.

Nadal has been at his trademark ruthless best in the Principality. The Spaniard, playing in only his second tournament of the season, has yet to drop more than three games in a set, a stretch that includes his 6-0, 6-2 demolition of No. 7 Dominic Thiem, the only man to beat Nadal on clay last year, during Friday’s quarter-final.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head for the following matches from the 2018 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters & vote for who you think will win! 
Nadal v Dimitrov | Zverev v Nishikori

The World No. 1 has won 12 straight matches and 32 straight sets on clay since that hiccup against Thiem in the 2017 Internazionali BNL d’Italia quarter-finals in Rome.

“I played so well this afternoon, playing very aggressive in general terms, backhand, forehand, serve. I’m defending well, returning well. I can’t say much more, no? Have been a great day for me, and a very good result against a very difficult rival,” Nadal said.

The 31-year-old didn’t face a break point and won nearly 70 per cent of all points (58/86), including 63 per cent of Thiem’s second-serve offerings (19/30).

“I know it’s difficult to play better than today. Being honest, I have to recognise that,” Nadal said. “But my goal is to rest and to try to wake up [Saturday] again with the same energy and to go on court with the same mentality, try to play close to the way that I played today.”

His semi-final opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, however, is eager for the challenge of facing Nadal, in what will be their 12^th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting. The Bulgarian is through to his first semi-final at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Monaco, and he’s shown he has the mettle to fight on the red dirt.

Watch: Nadal Beats Thiem To Reach Monte-Carlo SF

Twice Dimitrov has come back from a set down in Monte-Carlo, beating the serve-and-volleying Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the second round and six-time clay-court titlist Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany to reach the quarter-finals.

On Friday, Dimitrov edged good friend and doubles partner David Goffin, a Monte-Carlo semi-finalist last year, 6-4, 7-6(5). Dimitrov had reached the quarter-finals at the Monte-Carlo Country Club two prior times (2013, 2015).

“Today I felt I did a lot of things better than the previous days. I started the match better. I served better. Overall my stats were much better,” Dimitrov said.

But, as the No. 5 player in the ATP Rankings knows well, facing Nadal on the red dirt will be an entirely different challenge. Dimitrov trails in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 1-10. He beat Nadal during the quarter-finals of the 2016 China Open, played on hard courts. But Dimitrov has lost all three times they’ve played on clay, including at 2013 Monte-Carlo.

Read More: Best Rivalries of 2017: Nadal v. Dimitrov

“For sure he’s the favourite. Yes, he has a great record. Yes, he’s the best player on clay. That definitely doesn’t discourage me. That excites me to get out on Saturday and play my match, simple as that,” Dimitrov said of Nadal, who’s 66-4 in Monte-Carlo.

“One of the wrong things you can do is really focus on his side. I always said that. Whoever you play, you always got to focus on your end, the way you structure yourself to go out and play, be creative on the court. That’s just how it is. Honestly, I’m happy to be out here, happy to compete against him on such an occasion.”

Watch: Dimitrov Curls Lob Winner

Saturday’s second semi-final will feature a pair of first-time Monte-Carlo semi-finalists, when Alexander Zverev of Germany meets Japan’s Kei Nishikori. Zverev celebrated his 21^st birthday by fighting through the one of the matches of the tournament on Friday, beating Frenchman Richard Gasquet 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in two hours and 39 minutes.

“I’m just happy that I could turn around the second set. I thought I played probably the best set of this tournament so far on all levels, from the baseline, returning-wise. Obviously the third set was very intense, a lot of tight moments. I feel like in the tightest moments we both played the best tennis,” Zverev said.

The 21-year-old, No. 4 in the ATP Rankings, will try to stay perfect in Masters 1000 semi-finals (3-0) and reach his fourth final at the prestigious level (2017 Rome, Montreal; 2018 Miami). Zverev leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 1-0, a 6-3, 6-4 win last year in the Citi Open semi-finals.

“It’s going to be a different match [on Saturday]. Hopefully I can be ready for it, and it will be another good one,” said Zverev, who finished Friday’s play under the lights on Court Rainier III, the main show court.

Watch: Zverev Reflects On QF Win Against Gasquet

Nishikori, playing in Monte-Carlo for only the second time (2012), overcame seeing three match points come and go in the second set to hold onto victory against Croatian Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-3 in the quarter-finals.

The 28-year-old right-hander will play in his first Masters 1000 semi-final in nearly two years, since July 2016 in Toronto.

“This week has been pretty good. It’s my first tournament on clay. I always love to play on clay court… I have been feeling pretty good. I think every match is getting closer and closer,” Nishikori said.

The former No. 4 in the ATP Rankings continues to make steady progress during his comeback from right-wrist surgery. Just two months ago, Nishikori was playing in the ATP Challenger Tour event in Dallas, which he won. But on Saturday, he’ll have the opportunity to make his fourth Masters 1000 final, and his second on clay (2014 Madrid on clay, l. to Nadal; 2016 Miami, 2016 Toronto, l. to Djokovic).

“Happy to be back in the semi-finals here… I feel like I’ve been playing well this week,” he said.

Alexander Zverev made it a 21st birthday to remember on Friday night by reaching the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters semi-finals for the first time.

The third-seeded German overcame the courtcraft and inventiveness of Richard Gasquet, in addition to a respectful and predominantly French crowd, to complete a hard-fought and thrilling 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory. It was his fourth straight win over 2005 semi-finalist Gasquet, who, one day prior, had become the first man from his country to record 500 match wins.

“The third set was very intense, a lot of tight moments. I feel like in the tightest moments we both played the best tennis,” Zverev said. “I’m just happy with my performance tennis-wise, also mentally-wise.”

With cheers of “Allez, Richard” reverberating around Monte-Carlo bay, Gasquet recovered from a 0-2 deficit in the deciding set and came within one point of breaking for 5-4 and 6-5 leads. Zverev held his nerve in clutch moments to record his fourth straight win over Gasquet in two hours and 39 minutes.

“It was great. I think always in south of France, or in France, when a French player is playing, it’s always going to be a great atmosphere,” Zverev said. “Obviously a lot of spectators were for him, how they should be. I enjoyed it out there.”

Zverev will now play Japan’s Kei Nishikori in Saturday’s semi-finals, having won their lone FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting at the 2017 Citi Open in Washington, D.C. Last month, Zverev advanced to the Miami Open presented by Itaú final (l. to Isner) and is now 17-6 on the season.

Gasquet played utilised intelligent tactics in the first set, controlling rallies with his single-handed backhand, stepping inside the baseline and hitting his forehand aggressively, in addition to striking inventive shots at the right time.

Initially, a double fault saw Zverev broken to love in the opening game, then a forehand volley winner from Gasquet gave him a 4-1 advantage, which was one of four straight service breaks. At 5-4, when serving for the set for a second time, Gasquet calmly closed out with a backhand drop shot winner on his second set point opportunity.

The second set was just as dramatic. Having saved three break points in the opening game, Zverev then took a 2-0 lead with a forehand volley winner, but the predominantly French crowd attempted to rouse Gasquet. Zverev took time away from Gasquet and seized the momentum with a hold to 15 for 4-1 that broke three straight games of service breaks. A backhand error from Gasquet, which he snatched at in attempting to strike down the line, handed Zverev the set.

The match could have unravelled for Gasquet early in the decider, when two stray forehands saw the 31-year-old broken in the second game. But Gasquet fought and, although unable to overpower Zverev as both players struggled for service consistency — that resulted in four straight service breaks — the Frenchman did get back to level terms.

Gasquet came within one point of breaking serve for 5-4 and 6-5 leads, but Zverev held his nerve and fell to the ground after sealing a memorable victory with a backhand winner down the line.

“It’s very tough to lose that one. It was an incredible match,” Gasquet said. “He’s very strong. He fights a lot. That’s why he’s Top 4 right now. He’s a great competitor. An incredible match. It hurts to lose 7-5 in the third. The match point was crazy.”

Gasquet recorded his first tour-level match win as a 15-year-old at the 2002 Monte-Carlo tournament, and he remains the youngest player to earn a victory since Tommy Ho, also 15, at 1988 Rye Brook.

Zverev had previously beaten Gasquet in 2017 in the Open Sud de France final in Montpellier, the Gerry Weber Open semi-finals in Halle and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Canada in Montreal, where the German saved three match points.

Did You Know?
Alexander Zverev will attempt to reach his fourth Masters 1000 final — the German triumphed last year in Rome and Montreal before finishing runner-up this year in Miami.