There will be a guaranteed Russian at Montreal Rogers Cup final this year. Fellow countrymen Karen Khachanov and Daniil Medvedev will battle it out for one of the two spots. Meanwhile, defending champion, Rafael Nadal will someone he has played 16 times, the Frenchman, Gael Monfils for the other place in the final. It will be a fascinating contest as all four players have been in really good form and all have a chance of making it to the final day.
ATP Montreal Rogers Cup Semifinals
Daniil Medvedev vs Karen Khachanov
Head-to-head: Tied 1-1
Medvedev has been playing unbelievable tennis in the past two weeks and is one of the favourites to lift the trophy at the end of the week. His Russian compatriot, Khachanov, has had a good week himself and reached his first ATP semifinal of the year after struggling for the majority of the season.
Advancing to a Masters 1000 final will be unfamiliar territory for Medvedev, and no doubt this will be one of the biggest matches of his career so far. However, Khachanov already has tasted success at the Masters 1000 level by winning the Paris Indoors last year. So the world no.8 will come into this match arguably the less nervous out of the two.
The pair have known each other since a young age and know each other’s game plan inside-out. It will come down to a few points here and there that will decide who will be in the final.
Medvedev should eventually prevail and be in tomorrow final. The 23-year-old has looked focussed all week and looks as though he really wants his first Masters 1000 title.
Prediction: Medvedev in two.
Rafael Nadal vs Gael Monfils
Head-to-head: Nadal leads 14-2
Nadal was slightly troubled against Fognini in his quarterfinal match, as he dropped first set. But the world no. 2 turned the match around and eventually won in three sets. Gael Monfils awaits and it could be a big test for the Spaniard. Monfils has plenty of talent, but was forced to gut out a three set win against Roberto Bautista Agut in a delayed quarterfinal that finished Saturday afternoon.
Nadal has a solid h2h edge on the French veteran and will know how to put the pieces of the puzzle together and eventually reach his second consecutive Rogers Cup final.
Prediction: Nadal in two.
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