Tsitsipas back from the brink to set up semifinal clash with Zverev in Monte Carlo

Stefanos Tsitsipas came out on top from a thrilling quarter-final clash with Diego Schwartzman, prevailing 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4 on Friday to set up a meeting with Alexander Zverev at the Monte Carlo Masters. The Greek third seed was 5-2 up in the second set but inexplicably lost the plot and trailed 4-0 in the decider before rediscovering his touch. He will take on Alexander Zverev for a place in Sunday's final after the German world number three claimed an epic 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(5) victory against Italian Jannik Sinner.

Earlier, Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina reached his first Masters semifinal by beating American Taylor Fritz 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 and will take on Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. In the penultimate match of the day, Zverev and Sinner provided the Monte Carlo Country Club crowd with an intense encounter. A terrible service game by Sinner gave Zverev a break for 3-1 but the German failed to hold on to the advantage and the Italian broke back before bagging the opening set. After an early trade of breaks in the second set, Zverev took a medical timeout and was given a pill by the physiotherapist.

It had the desired effect on the German as he appeared to move more freely to claim the set. The Italian then appeared to be hampered by a thigh strain and Zverev went on to break for 2-1 in the deciding set. Although Sinner managed to level the set, he produced a woeful double fault to allow Zverev to move 4-3 ahead. In yet another twist, Sinner broke back for 5-5 and forced a tiebreak but he just could not get over the finishing line, with Zverev sealing victory on his first match point. "It means a lot, definitely, especially how this year has been going so far for me," said Zverev. "I've lost long matches like that, so I’m