Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Monfils, Cilic advance to Japan Open semis

October 07, 2016 16:56 IST

France's Gael Monfils returns a ball to Croatia's Ivo Karlovic during their men's singles quarters at the Ariake Coliseum, in Tokyo, on Friday

IMAGE: France's Gael Monfils returns a ball to Croatia's Ivo Karlovic during their men's singles quarters at the Ariake Coliseum, in Tokyo, on Friday. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

Second seed Gael Monfils edged past Croatia's Ivo Karlovic 7-6(6), 7-6(6) and Marin Cilic ousted Argentine Juan Monaco 7-5, 6-1 to progress to the Japan Open semi-finals in Tokyo on Friday.

Monfils set up a clash with Nick Kyrgios who eased past Gilles Muller 6-4, 6-2.

The 30-year-old Frenchman restricted the big-serving Karlovic, seeded seventh, to nine aces and came up with nine of his own to win in an hour 31 minutes.

Fourth seed Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, struggled on serve but was still too strong for Monaco and the Croatian next faces Belgian David Goffin, who secured a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Joao Sousa of Portugal.

"My serve was a bit up-and-down today. It's something I'll definitely have to straighten out for my match tomorrow," Cilic told the ATP website (www.atpworldtour.com).

"He returned really well in the first set. In the second after I broke him, I could see that he was having some trouble. It's unfortunate for him since I know he's had a lot of injuries."

Australian Kyrgios, who is yet to lose his serve this week, continued his fine run, firing down 18 aces against Luxembourg's Muller.

"I thought I played great today. I served well, returned well and my engagement level was really good the whole time," Kyrgios said.

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.