Tsitsipas to play Rublev in Monte Carlo final

Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Dan Evans 6-2, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Saturday and will face Andrey Rublev for the title.

Fourth seed Tsitsipas needed just over an hour to dispatch Britain’s Evans, who knocked out world number one Novak Djokovic in the last 16.

Tsitsipas has yet to drop a set in Monte Carlo this week and is through to his third Masters 1000 final. 

He finished runner-up in Canada in 2018 and Madrid the following year.

“I am indeed pleased with the performance,” said Tsitsipas. 

“I found ways to play at my best. It was really difficult to maintain my level of consistency and I am really happy I managed to deal with all the different moments during the match.”

“It’s a dream of mine to be playing in the final,” he added.

Rublev beat unseeded Norwegian Casper Ruud 6-3, 7-5 to advance to his first Masters 1000 final, ensuring there was no letdown after his elimination of 11-time champion Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.

“It is an amazing feeling. It is my first (ATP Masters 1000) final, so I am really happy,” said Rublev. 

“We will see what is going to happen. I will try to do my best.”

Rublev trailed by a break in both sets but recovered to beat Ruud for the fourth time in as many attempts.

Ruud, 22, knocked out 2019 winner Fabio Fognini to make the last four in Monte Carlo 24 years after his father Christian had reached the quarter-finals.