By Erik Gudris/ Friday, October 11, 2013
Novak Djokovic battled in three sets versus France's Gael Monfils in Shanghai. Rafael Nadal booked
his semfinal spot with yet another straight-sets win over Stanislas Wawrinka.
Photo Credit: Getty
Top seeds Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic appear headed to yet another finals showdown against each other as each player secured his semifinal berth at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.
Djokovic faced France's Gael Monfils, who Thursday pulled off the biggest upset of the week by knocking out Roger Federer in three sets. It would be yet another three-set battle for the Frenchman as he secured the opening set against Djokovic by taking a tiebreak seven points to four.
But Djokovic, helped by his 80 percent first serve percentage, came back to take the second set. Holding on to a break of serve in the final set, Djokovic served out the 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4 win.
Friday's win is the 60th victory of this year for Djokovic and marks his seventh straight season with 60 or more wins for the Serbian. Next up for Djokovic is another Frenchman in Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Tsonga, who is still fighting to make the eight-man ATP Tour Finals in London, advanced into the semis with a 6-2, 6-3 win against Germany's Florian Mayer.
Nadal Denies Wawrinka Yet Again, Sets Up Semis Showdown with Del Potro.
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal kept his perfect record against Stanislas Wawrinka intact during their quarterfinal meeting later in the evening. Wawrinka, who had never taken a set from the Spaniard, looked poised to do so in the opening set after he held multiple set points. But the set soon entered a tiebreak with both men poised to claim it as each held set points. Eventually it was Nadal who took the one-set lead by taking the tiebreak 12-10.
After that, Wawrinka offered little resistance as Nadal ran away with the second set and the match 7-6(10), 6-1. The win was Nadal's 11th victory over Wawrinka who is now 0-24 in career sets against Nadal.
Waiting for Nadal in the semifinals is Juan Martin Del Potro. Del Potro advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Nicolas Almagro in 72 minutes in their second straight meeting in the last two weeks. Del Potro, who is now one win away from qualifying for the ATP Tour finals, is 3-8 against Nadal with their last meeting being the Indian Wells finals this spring.