Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his winning run at the Monte-Carlo Masters with a 6-4 6-2 quarter-final victory over Karen Khachanov.
The Greek world No. 12 is hoping to crack the top 10 once more, and he is now in the semi-finals in Monaco as he looks to add more points for his ATP ranking.
Tsitsipas needed 83 minutes for his straight-sets victory against the Russian as he held off the big-hitting No. 17.
He has both the 2021 and 2022 titles to his name, but the 25-year-old suffered a drop-off in form over the last season, and he will now face the winner of another quarter-final tie, where Jannik Sinner takes on Holger Rune.
“I would lie if I said it doesn’t bring good memories stepping out on this court,” Tsitsipas said after the win.
“It’s something that I attribute some of my performances here over time to.
“I come back here, and I sort of relive those memories of the past. It gives good feelings to me when I’m able to play in front of crowds like this and be able to try and strive for excellence with my game.”
Tsitsipas started well with a confidence-boosting break in the very first game, and while he was immediately broken back, he continued to use his serve to keep his opponent on the back foot.
When receiving serve he was more effective than Khachanov – who needed the physio at 2-2 in the second – who started to make more errors.
Tsitsipas added: “My returns were effective. I was generating a lot of pace and gained good momentum at some point.
“He seemed good and well composed in his tennis. He wasn’t giving away too many unforced errors and seemed pretty calm from behind the baseline.
“I tried to do my part, which was to press as much as I could and not rush myself into the rallies.
“I was trying to predict and read certain things on the court and it worked out pretty well. I took my time once again to understand what works and what doesn’t and today I was persistent in my efforts to walk away with something good.”