World No. 1 Novak Djokovic plays for his fourth Rogers Cup and record-extending 30th ATP Masters 1000 title against sixth-ranked Kei Nishikori on Sunday. The Serbian superstar has swept eight straight meetings with Nishikori, including a 6-3, 6-3 win in the ATP Masters 1000 Miami final. Djokovic has won 10 titles and reached 14 finals in his last 15 ATP Masters 1000 appearances, all of which have come during his run of 108 consecutive weeks atop the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Nishikori beat World No. 5 Stan Wawrinka to advance to the final, snapping a 16-match losing streak against Top 5 opponents that dated back to his win over Djokovic at the 2014 US Open. While Djokovic bids for his 30th ATP Masters 1000 crown, Nishikori seeks the biggest title of his career. He fell to Rafael Nadal in the 2014 ATP Masters 1000 Madrid final after leading 6-2, 4-2, finished runner-up to Marin Cilic at the 2014 US Open, and lost to Djokovic in Miami on April 3.

Six days before the start of the Rio Olympics, Brazilian medal hopes Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares will be opponents in the Rogers Cup doubles final. Melo and Ivan Dodig, the 2015 Roland Garros champions, will meet Soares and Jamie Murray, the reigning Australian Open champions. Soares has an 11-6 FedEx ATP Head 2 Head doubles record against his countryman Melo, including a win with Murray over Dodig and Melo in the ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo semi-finals.

Soares and ex-partner Alexander Peya defeated Dodig and Melo en route to the 2013 Rogers Cup title and again in the 2014 Rogers Cup final. As teammates, Melo and Soares are 10-2 in Davis Cup and 82-56 overall with four titles, highlighted by a 1-6, 6-4, 24-22 win over Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek to reach the quarter-finals at the 2012 London Olympics. But the Brazilians went 3-3 in ATP World Tour events this season at Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Washington.

Novak Djokovic did not serve his best against Gael Monfils at the Rogers Cup on Saturday, but the outcome was never in doubt, as the Serbian marched to a 6-3, 6-2 semi-final triumph against the Frenchman in 73 minutes. With the loss, Monfils fell to 0-12 against Djokovic in the pair’s FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry despite the World No. 1 firing one ace and six double-faults.

“You do have a certain mental comfort knowing that you have had plenty of success against your opponent. Nevertheless, that is not a certainty. That’s not a guarantee that you can win the match. Actually, it actually makes him more eager to come out and play his best tennis,” Djokovic said. “I’ve been working on my serve a lot the last couple of years, and I think especially on the second serve it has gave me an advantage, more depth on the second serve and so forth. In this tournament it is not working very well but in general in past couple of years it has served me very well.”

Djokovic, who had overcome a stern test against Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals on Friday, found the margin of victory with flawless play from the baseline. The three-time Rogers Cup champion (2007, 2011-12) aimed to extend rallies and covered the court so well that the explosive Monfils, who beat hometown hero Milos Raonic the previous night, was unable to make use of his creativity. The 2016 Citi Open champion won only 28 per cent of second-serve points and dropped serve four times before succumbing.

“I guess he missed a few shots at the beginning. I got some opportunities and I took them,” said Monfils, who secured the first break of serve of the match before Djokovic took over. “And then suddenly he was not missing anymore. He was going for his shots and being much better in the rallies. He became super solid. When Novak is playing like that, it’s very tough to beat him.”

The top player in the Emirates ATP Rankings continued his domination at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level. He has now reached the final in 14 of his past 15 appearances and is aiming for an 11th title in that span. On Sunday, he will be playing for a record 30th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title.

In the final, Djokovic will face Kei Nishikori, who won in straight sets against Stan Wawrinka earlier in the day. Djokovic is 9-2 at the tour-level against the Japanese star and is riding an eight-match winning streak over the No. 3 seed.

Kei Nishikori overcame a slow start to reach the Rogers Cup final on Saturday, rallying past Stan Wawrinka 7-6(6), 6-1.

Nishikori battled into his 19th tour-level final, needing one hour and 29 minutes to seal the victory over Wawrinka. Runner-up in Miami (l. to Djokovic) in April, he will appear in his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final of the year and third overall.

Nishikori was at his best with his back against the wall in the opening set on Saturday. The Japanese surrendered a quick break in the fourth game, as Wawrinka began pulling away.

But as soon as the Swiss sprinted to a 5-2 advantage, Nishikori stormed back. The third seed would make significant inroads on return, having a break chance in four consecutive Wawrinka service games. With the Swiss serving for the set at 5-3, he would break back, drawing an error with a rifled return.

Four times Wawrinka would find himself on the doorstep of taking the opener, with a pair of set points on Nishikori’s serve at 6-5 and two more in the ensuing tie-break. But the 26-year-old Japanese continued to thrive while under pressure. He reeled off four straight points from 6/4 down in the tie-break and raced to the finish line in the second set, claiming 11 of the last 13 games.

“I think he started much better in the first couple games, especially,” said Nishikori. “He was hitting very good serves and was very aggressive until the 5-3 game. I started returning better and he was missing a little bit. I think he had more chances to get the first set.

“After that, he started playing a little slower. I knew I had to step it up, otherwise he’s going to come back. I’m just happy to win today.”

In total, Nishikori benefited from 37 Wawrinka unforced errors, while striking 17 winners, including eight off his forehand wing. The win halts a 16-match losing streak against Top 5 players and gives him just his second victory over Wawrinka in five FedEx ATP Head2Head encounters.

Nishikori awaits the winner of the second semi-final between three-time champion Novak Djokovic and Frenchman Gael Monfils. He has already faced Djokovic in three Masters 1000 events this year, falling in the Miami final and the Madrid and Rome semis.

Watch Wawrinka Hot Shot

“I think I had a lot of chances in the first set,” said Wawrinka, who was appearing in his first semi-final in his 10th Rogers Cup. “It was a tough match to play Kei today. It was tough conditions, quite windy and fast. I had a lot of opportunities to take the set. I didn’t. In general, the level was up and down from both sides and it was a really tough first set. I should have played better. That’s it.

“It’s a really positive tournament, to make the semi-finals in a Masters 1000 here on hard courts where I never really played well. It’s a good tournament. There is a lot to take from it. After having a good preparation, I think there are many things that I can be happy with.” 

Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo continued their strong run of form in Toronto, returning to the Rogers Cup final with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau on Saturday.

Runners-up in Toronto two years ago, third seeds Dodig and Melo needed just 71 minutes to secure their place in the title match once again. It will be their fifth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final as a team, seeking a third such crown.

The duo claimed the first break of the match in the third game, behind a rifled backhand return by Dodig. After taking the opener 6-4, they continued to apply pressure in the second set. A Tecau approach drifted long to hand the Croatian-Brazilian tandem the decisive break for 4-3, and Melo would slam the door with a volley winner to break to love on their first match point.

Bidding for their first tour-level title of the year, Dodig and Melo will face either Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil or Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares on Sunday.

Ten days ago, Gael Monfils started his summer hard-court season on a three-match losing streak. He managed a total of three games in the fourth and fifth sets of a first-round loss to Jeremy Chardy at Wimbledon. He missed his home Grand Slam at Roland Garros due to a virus. And he hadn’t won a title in more than 29 months. Ten days later, Monfils is on a career-long nine-match win streak and set for a semi-final showdown with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Toronto.

Monfils won five matches in as many days July 20-24 to capture the biggest title of his career at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Washington. The Frenchman flew to Toronto about five hours after saving a championship point against Ivo Karlovic, enjoying only one off-day before beginning his Rogers Cup campaign on Tuesday. If Monfils is to earn his 10th straight victory, he will need to beat Djokovic for the first time on tour. Monfils has an 0-11 FedEx ATP Head 2 Head record versus Djokovic, though in 2004, he defeated a 16-year-old Djokovic in ITF Juniors and Futures matches.

Djokovic could extend a streak of 17 straight ATP Masters 1000 tournaments won by a member of the ‘Big 4,’ which also includes Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Should the Serbian superstar overcome Monfils on Saturday, he will ensure that a ‘Big 4’ player appears in the final for the 33rd straight ATP Masters 1000 event. With each win this week, Djokovic is distancing himself from Murray in the Emirates ATP Race to London as the 29-year-olds battle to finish the season as World No. 1. Djokovic entered Toronto with an 815-point lead in the race over Murray.

In the other semi-final, opportunity awaits No. 2 seed Stan Wawrinka and No. 3 seed Kei Nishikori, who have one ATP Masters 1000 title between them. That went to Wawrinka at 2014 Monte-Carlo, but the Swiss has not returned to an ATP Masters 1000 final since. Following Wawrinka’s breakthrough, Nishikori reached the next ATP Masters 1000 final at 2014 Madrid. He was also runner-up at 2016 Miami, saving five match points to beat Monfils en route to the final.

Fifth-seeded Romanians Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau meet No. 3 seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo in the doubles semi-finals. Born one week apart, Mergea and Tecau won Wimbledon junior doubles titles in 2002 and 2003. They captured their first ATP World Tour title as a team earlier this season at Bucharest. In a potential preview of the Rio Olympics August 6-14, Mergea and Tecau swept No. 1 seeds Bob and Mike Bryan in straight sets on Friday.

The other doubles semi-final pits Australian Open champions Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares against the Olympic duo of Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil. Canadians Nestor and Pospisil are teaming on the ATP World Tour for the first time since 2013 Basel. Soares and Melo, on the other hand, opted to play this week with their regular partners. The Brazilians will carry the host nation’s medal hopes in Rio de Janeiro along with their countrymen Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa.

FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – Singles Semi-finals

[3] Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs [2] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) – Wawrinka Leads 3-1
Nishikori 2016 FastFacts
• Tournament Note: Advanced to SF or better in 4 of 5 ATP Masters 1000 appearances this year (Indian Wells QF)
• Captured 4th straight Memphis title and extended win streak at event to 17 matches (d. Fritz)
• Saved 5 MPs to beat Monfils en route to 2nd ATP Masters 1000 final of career at Miami (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Also saved 1 MP to defeat Isner 76 in 3rd before falling to No. 5 Nadal in ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells QF
• Reached ATP Masters 1000 SFs at Madrid (l. to Djokovic 76 in 2nd) and Rome (l. to Djokovic 76 in 3rd)
• Appeared in 3rd consecutive Barcelona final (d. Paire, l. to No. 5 Nadal)
• Advanced to Aus. Open QF (d. Tsonga, l. to Djokovic) and Roland Garros 4R (d. Verdasco in 5 sets, l. to Gasquet)
• Conceded walkover in Halle 2R vs. F. Mayer and retired in Wimbledon 4R vs. Cilic due to rib injury
• Beat Evans before falling to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets, snapping 12-match Davis Cup win streak (GBR d. JPN 3-1)

Wawrinka 2016 FastFacts
• Tournament Note: First-time semifinalist seeks 1st ATP Masters 1000 final since winning 2014 Monte-Carlo title
• On a 10-match win streak in finals after beating Cilic 64 76(11) for 1st Swiss title at Geneva
• Also beat Baghdatis 64 76(13) to win ATP World Tour 500 event in Dubai
• Captured 3rd straight Chennai title (d. Coric), increasing win streaks at event to 12 matches and 24 sets
• Enjoyed 400th career win in Australian Open 3R on Jan. 23 (d. Rosol) before falling in 4R (l. to Raonic in 5 sets)
• In defense of Roland Garros title, won 5-setter over Rosol in 1R and reached SF (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Appeared in 46 consecutive Grand Slam main draws since making major debut at 2005 Roland Garros
• Advanced to ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo QF (d. Kohlschreiber and Simon, l. to No. 5 Nadal)
• Saved 2 MPs to beat Stakhovsky 64 46 76(8) in Marseille 2R and came within 2 points of losing to Stakhovsky in Dubai 1R before earning 57 63 75 win

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs [10] Gael Monfils (FRA) – Djokovic Leads 11-0
Djokovic 2016 FastFacts
• Tournament Note: Advanced to final in 13 of last 14 ATP Masters 1000 appearances, winning 10 titles
• Won Roland Garros title to become 8th man with career Grand Slam and 3rd with all 4 majors at once (d. Murray)
• Surpassed 200 weeks at No. 1, $100 million in prize money and 50 wins at all 4 majors during Roland Garros
• Tied Emerson for 4th all-time with 12 Grand Slam men’s singles titles
• Also tied Emerson’s all-time record with 6th Australian Open title (d. No. 2 Murray)
• Defeated by Querrey in Wimbledon 3R, ending calendar Grand Slam bid and 30-match win streak at majors
• Swept Indian Wells (d. Raonic) and Miami (d. No. 6 Nishikori) for 3rd straight year and 4th time overall
• Added Madrid title for record-setting 29th ATP Masters 1000 championship (d. No. 2 Murray)
• Fell to No. 3 Murray in ATP Masters 1000 Rome final, snapping career-long 17-match win streak vs. Top 10
• Became 3rd active player to reach 700 wins by beating Jaziri in Dubai 2R on Feb. 24 (also Federer and Nadal)
• Fell 1 shy of Lendl’s Open-Era record 18 straight finals, retiring vs. Lopez in Dubai QF (eye)
• Defeated Nedovyesov in 3 sets and Kukushkin in 5 sets to help Serbia beat Kazakhstan 3-2 in Davis Cup 1R

Monfils 2016 FastFacts
• Tournament Note: Owns a 1-14 record against World No. 1s, beating then-No. 1 Nadal 64 64 in 2009 Doha QF
• Captured biggest title of career at ATP World Tour 500 event in Washington, saving 1 MP vs. Karlovic in final
• Reached 3rd ATP Masters 1000 final at Monte-Carlo (d. No. 9 Tsonga, l. to No. 5 Nadal in 3 sets)
• Also reached ATP Masters 1000 QFs at Indian Wells (l. to Raonic) and Miami (l. to No. 6 Nishikori after 5 MPs)
• Advanced to 1st Australian Open QF in 11th appearance (l. to Raonic)
• Lost to Klizan in Rotterdam championship match and is now 6-19 lifetime in finals
• Won 8th straight Davis Cup match to open France’s 5-0 sweep of Canada in 1R (d. Dancevic)
• Withdrew from Marseille (right leg), Munich (groin strain), Roland Garros (virus) and Halle (virus)