MONTE CARLO: Kei Nishikori fought back from a set down to beat Alexander Zverev 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the Monte Carlo Masters semi-finals on Saturday to set up a showdown with Rafael Nadal.

The Japanese player moved into his first Masters final since Canada in 2016 after struggling with a right wrist injury that forced him to miss the last four months of last season.

But the former world number four, now ranked 36, did enough to wear down a tired Zverev who came through a late-night thriller with Richard Gasquet on his 21st birthday on Friday.

Nishikori is yet to win a Masters title in three previous final appearances, including one against Nadal in Madrid four years ago when he led by a set and a break before retiring injured.

He won his last match against Nadal in the 2016 Olympic bronze-medal match, but has never beaten the 10-time Monte Carlo champion on clay.

Nadal reached his 12th final in Monte Carlo earlier Saturday by seeing off Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-1.

Third seed Zverev broke through in the seventh game and wrapped up the first set with relative comfort.

Nishikori hit back early in the second to move 2-0 ahead, but Zverev refocused and drew level.

The Japanese reeled off four straight games to force a decider, though, as Zverev failed to secure a first straight-sets win of the week.

Both players saved two break points in their first service games of the third set, before solidifying their serves as the set became a battle of attrition.

But Nishikori brought up a match point in the 10th game with a body shot at the net, and German Zverev scooped a backhand wide to send the 28-year-old through to Sunday’s final.

The 31-year-old Nadal overpowered Dimitrov for the 11th time in 12 meetings.

Nadal came through a tight first set but always looked too strong for Dimitrov and raced through the second in half an hour.

The top seed is bidding for an outright record 31st Masters title this week and extended his run of consecutive sets won on clay to 34.

Nadal, playing his first ATP tournament since he retired from his Australian Open quarter-final against Marin Cilic in January with a hip injury, has shown no signs of rust.

Following a 6-0, 6-2 last-eight demolition of Dominic Thiem, Nadal has lost only 16 games in four matches this week.

Dimitrov immediately put Nadal’s serve under pressure with two perfectly-judged lobs forcing deuce, but the top seed came through an eight-minute opener.

Nadal didn’t take long to get into his stride, breaking at the first time of asking as Dimitrov struggled in the longer rallies.

The Bulgarian continued to go for his shots and brought up three break-back points in game five as Nadal followed a double fault with two wayward groundstrokes.

Nadal fired long, before Dimitrov saved a break point himself with a venomous forehand to level at 3-3.

The fourth seed was displaying the resolve needed to push Nadal on his favourite surface, and came back from break point down again as the Spaniard continued to miss chances.

But Dimitrov wasted all of his earlier good work, handing Nadal two set points with back-to-back double faults and a wild forehand.

The 16-time Grand Slam champion wrapped up the set with a whipped forehand onto the line.

That effectively ended Dimitrov’s chances, and Nadal broke to love in the second game of the second set.

Nadal stormed towards the finishing line with eight straight points on his opponent’s serve and a wide Dimitrov backhand wrapped up yet another comfortable victory.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2018