Final Four Ready For Battle In Toronto

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)