TOKYO - French second-seed Gael Monfils will face Australian Nick Kyrgios in the Japan Open semi-finals after he beat Croatian seventh-seed Ivo Karlovic Friday.
France's Gael Monfils serves against Croatia's Ivo Karlovic during their Japan Open quarter-final in Tokyo on October 7, 2016
Fourth-seed Marin Cilic defeated Juan Monaco 7-5, 6-1 and will meet Belgian fifth-seed David Goffin in the last four.
Monfils pulled off a nailbiting 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (8/6) win against Karlovic, with both men landing nine aces in their 91-minute contest.
Monfils, a runner-up at the Japan Open in 2010, is now set to play Kyrgios, who comfortably fended off a challenge from Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-4, 6-2.
"I thought I played great today," Kyrgios said. "I served well, returned well and my engagement level was really good the whole time."
Goffin came from behind to beat Joao Sousa1-6, 7-5, 6-2 in their quarterfinal.
"It was not easy. From the beginning of the match, I was feeling a little bit nervous, a little bit sleepy also," Goffin said.
"I was struggling a little bit with my footwork. Then I started to play much better, more aggressive from the start of the second set.
"In the third set, I played my best tennis."