Eight-times champion Rafael Nadal will lock horns with world number one Novak Djokovic for third time in the Monte Carlo Masters final after both sailed through their semi-finals with relative ease yesterday.

Nadal was given a fight by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before the Spaniard won 6-3 7-6 but Djokovic was dominant in a 6-2 6-1 thrashing of Italian showman Fabio Fognini.

Former world number one Nadal, looking for his fourth title of the year in only his fifth event since returning from a long-standing knee injury, clinched a 46th consecutive victory at the traditional claycourt event alongside the Mediterranean.

The final against Djokovic will give a further measure of Nadal’s physical power as he eyes the French Open, especially as the Serb is showing no obvious signs of being worried by the ankle he twisted while on Davis Cup duty two weeks ago.

“It’s fantastic to be in a fifth final in a row after seven months out,” Nadal told reporters.

“Novak always pushes you to the limits.”

Djokovic, who has branded Nadal “the ultimate challenge on clay”, will hope to improve on his previous Monte Carlo finals against Nadal. The Serbian player was beaten 6-3 6-1 in the final last year and in three sets in 2009.

Fed Cup semi-finals
Italy lead Czech Republic 2-0; Slovakia lead Russia 2-0.