Court rainier iii

Court Rainier III: Novak Djokovic continued his brilliant run as he moved to within just two wins of completing his third sweep of all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles on Friday, advancing to the semifinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters for the first time since triumphing in 2015.

In a tight clash against Australian Alex de Minaur, the World No. 1 was not at his fluid best but found the required level to earn a 7-5, 6-4 win. With his two-hour, four-minute victory, the Serbian avenged his recent defeat in the United Cup to the Australian to improve to 2-1 in the pair’s ATP head-to-head series.

The 36-year-old, who on Sunday became the oldest No. 1 in ATP Rankings history, is chasing a record-extending 41st ATP Masters 1000 crown this week. Should he lift the trophy, it would mark the top seed’s third sweep of all nine Masters 1000 tournaments.