Top seed Rafael Nadal will take on fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov in what will be his 13th semi-final outing of Monte Carlo Masters Saturday, April 21.
When and how to watch Monte Carlo Masters semi-final between Rafael Nadal and Grigor Dimitrov
The last-four match of the ongoing clay-court tournament will not start before 1:30 pm local time, 12:30 pm BST and 5 pm IST.
Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD will provide live coverage of Monte Carlo Masters in India. Live stream will be available on Sony Liv.
Preview
The world number one came up with one of his most dominating performances as he crushed seventh seed Dominic Thiem 6-0, 6-2 in just 68 minutes. Nadal won nine straight games before his Austrian opponent held his serve.
Notably, Thiem was the only player to have beaten Nadal on the red dirt last season but he was clueless Friday against Nadal's authoritative display. The Spaniard, the winner of 10 titles in the ongoing Masters 1000 tournament, was hitting winners at will, winning 84% points on his first serve and 63% return points on Thiem's second serve.
Nadal upbeat ahead of semi-final in Monte Carlo
The 16-time Grand Slam champion will start as overwhelming favorite to reach yet another final in Monte Carlo. Nadal concedes it will be difficult to replicate Friday's form on the court in the semi-final but insists he would be going out with the "same energy".
"I know it's difficult to play better than today. Being honest, I have to recognize that. But my goal is to rest and to try to wake up [Saturday] again with the same energy and to go on court with the same mentality, try to play close to the way that I played today," Nadal was quoted as saying by ATP's official website.
Dimitrov's 1-10 record in head-to-head meetings with Nadal is a cause for concern for the Bulgarian. Notably, he has lost all their three meetings on clay-court tournaments.
The world number five acknowledges Nadal's favorite tag but insists he is excited to take on the clay-court giant in Saturday's encounter.
Notably, Dimitrov is heading into the match on the back of an impressive straight set win in the quarter-final over his doubles partner, David Goffin.
"For sure he's the favorite. Yes, he has a great record. Yes, he's the best player on clay. That definitely doesn't discourage me. That excites me to get out on Saturday and play my match, simple as that," Dimitrov said.
Monte Carlo Masters semi-final: Live stream and global TV listings
UK: TV - Sky Sports; Live stream: Sky Go
US: Tennis Channel
France: France TV
Switzerland: SRG, Teleclub
Canada: TSN
Malaysia: Astro Supersport