Fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas swatted aside unseeded Dan Evans 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday to reach the Monte Carlo Masters final for the first time, and stay on course for a first title this year.
The big-serving Greek faces the winner of a later semifinal between sixth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev and unseeded Norwegian Casper Ruud.
Evans beat top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the third round. But he failed to threaten Tsitsipas in the same way and the match quickly slid away when he was serving at 3-2 down.
Daniel Evans of Britain returns the ball to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their semifinal match of the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters tournament in Monaco, Saturday, April 17, 2021. (AP PhotoJean-Francois Badias)
Tsitsipas, a French Open semifinalist last year, broke his serve five times and remains on track for a sixth career title.
He won his previous one in February last year at the Open 13 indoor tournament in Marseille — just weeks before France went into lockdown for the first time because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Monte Carlo was canceled last year because of it.
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece returns the ball to Daniel Evans of Britain during their semifinal match of the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters tournament in Monaco, Friday, April 17, 2020. (AP PhotoJean-Francois Badias)
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Daniel Evans of Britain returns the ball to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their semifinal match of the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters tournament in Monaco, Saturday, April 17, 2021. (AP PhotoJean-Francois Badias)