World number one Rafael Nadal swept aside Grigor Dimitrov to ease into his 12th Monte Carlo Masters final with a 6-4, 6-1 victory on Saturday, while Kei Nishikori edged out Alexander Zverev.
The 31-year-old Nadal needs to win an 11th Monaco title to retain the number one ranking ahead of Roger Federer, and will be a red-hot favourite against Japan’s Nishikori in Sunday’s final.
“I really don’t care if I am favourite or I am not favourite,” insisted Nadal, after beating Dimitrov for the 11th time in 12 meetings.
“I go on court, I try my best. I want to win. Doesn’t matter if I am the favourite or I am not the favourite.”
Nadal came through a tight first set but always looked too strong for Dimitrov and raced through the second in half an hour.
Following a 6-0, 6-2 last-eight demolition of Dominic Thiem, Nadal has lost only 16 games in four matches this week.
Nishikori fought back from a set down to beat Zverev 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and reach his first Masters final since Toronto in 2016.
The Japanese player has struggled with a right wrist injury that forced him to miss the last four months of last season, but has looked back to his best in Monte Carlo.
The former world number four, now ranked 36, did enough to wear down a tired Zverev who came through a late-night thriller with Richard Gasquet on his 21st birthday on Friday.
Nishikori is yet to win a Masters title in three previous final appearances, including one against Nadal in Madrid four years ago when he led by a set and a break before retiring injured.
He won his last match against Nadal in the 2016 Olympic bronze-medal match, but has never beaten him on clay.
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