Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on Saturday set up their third final meeting at the Monte Carlo Masters, with the Serb top seed the last obstacle to more clay-court history for Spain's Nadal. Nadal is one win away from a record ninth straight trophy at the Mediterranean venue and has already defeated world number one Djokovic here in 2009 and in 2012. Djokovic had a stress-free semi-final win over Italian Fabio Fognini, crushing the outsider 6-2, 6-1 in 52 minutes.

Clay king Rafael Nadal survived a storming comeback attempt from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Saturday before finally holding off the sixth seed to win 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) and take his accustomed place in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters. Nadal, seeded third but always the man to beat on his most lethal surface, spent 96 minutes on court as Tsonga rallied from a set and 5-1 down, breaking the Spaniard twice but failing in the second-set tiebreak which decided the dramatic contest.

Rafael Nadal survived one of his toughest claycourt tests to squeeze out a dramatic 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 win over highly-rated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday. The Spaniard, who has not lost in the principality since 2003, was reluctant to talk about taping on his back, evidence of the wear and tear his return to his beloved clay may be taking after he missed seven months of play with knee problems.

Results from the sixth day of the Monte-Carlo Masters on Friday (x denotes seeding): Quarter-finals Fabio Fognini (ITA) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA x7) 7-6 (7/0), 6-2 Rafael Nadal (ESP x3) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x6) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x13) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 afp