To get to the semi-finals, Novak Djokovic beat Australian Alex de Minaur. This was a step towards him winning his first Monte Carlo Masters title since 2015.
Seven breaks of serve happened in the second set, which was a mess, but world number one Djokovic, 36, won it 7-5, 6-4.
His 77th trip to the semi-finals of an ATP 1000 event is more than Rafael Nadal’s record number of 76.
No. 8 seed Casper Ruud from Norway or Ugo Humbert from France will play Djokovic for a spot in the final.
Also, Jannik Sinner, the second seed from Italy, beat Holger Rune 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 to make it to the semi-finals and play Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Sinner, who won the Australian Open at age 22, is the only player this season to make it to the semi-finals of all three ATP Masters 1000 events. He did this by winning the Miami Open in March, after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the last four at Indian Wells.
Tsitsipas, a Greek 12th seed and two-time Monte Carlo winner, beat Karen Khachanov, a Russian, 6-4, 6-2.
Djokovic said that he didn’t think he was playing at his “top level” after his Thursday quarterfinal win over Lorenzo Musetti.
But the 24-time Grand Slam winner hasn’t lost a set on his way to the Monte Carlo semi-finals for the first time since 2015, when he won his last game.
When Djokovic beat De Minaur, he became the oldest semi-finalist in the event. He will be 37 years old in May.
