Stefanos Tsitsipas, 5th in the world and defending champion, faced Diego Schwartzman (16th) in the evening for the last ticket for the last four.
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Zverev struggling
Alexander Zverev (3rd) had to play against Jannik Sinner (12th)... and the public, always favorable to Italian players when there is one on the court.
As soon as he entered, the German was whistled and the tone was set.
After 3:07 of a "very high level" match, in his words and which he won 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), Zverev left the court to the applause of the public.
"Sorry to have won," he told them.
German Alexander Zverev after his success against Italian Jannik Sinner at the Monte-Carlo tournament, April 15, 2022 Valery HACHE AFP
The Olympic champion from Tokyo quickly broke away 4-1, chaining a series of 13 points won which put the spectators to sleep.
But Sinner's awakening was accompanied by that of the public who pushed his player in his ascent and until his very last foul which qualified Zverev after a tie break as breathless as the whole game.
"I lost so many games like this this year, in Indian Wells, Australia... I need these kinds of games, to win them," commented the German.
He won five Masters 1000, but never reached the final in Monte-Carlo where he played the semis in 2018.
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Davidovich finds out, Dimitrov returns
The Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich, 46th in the world, had already demonstrated in the second round against Novak Djokovic his ability to hang on to each ball, without hesitating to dive until he was bleeding.
Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich during his victorious quarter-final against American Taylor Fritz, at the Monte-Carlo tournament, April 15, 2022 Valery HACHE AFP
Taylor Fritz (13th), winner last month in Indian Wells, paid the price in turn on Friday.
He couldn't resist the Spanish fury and lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in 2h25.
It must be said that the victory against the world N.1 had given a surplus not so much of combativeness, but of confidence to the Spaniard.
"We don't beat the N.1 every day!", Underlined Davidovich who then had to "manage emotions" to stay in the tournament.
He did it so well that he will play his first Masters 1000 semi-final on Saturday, he who stopped in the quarterfinals on Monegasque soil last year.
"I had to give up (on injury after the first set against Tsitsipas, editor's note), there was no audience, nothing, it was really sad," he recalled.
This year, the public is present and can enjoy the spectacular game displayed by Davidovich.
He too savors every moment of an event he watched on television when he was little, saying to himself "I want to be there one day".
He is there and his next opponent has the experience not only of a half in Masters 1000, since he notably won the Cincinnati tournament in 2017, but particularly in Monte-Carlo where he had reached the last four. in 2018.
Grigor Dimitrov, ex-N.3 now 29th, defeated Pole Hubert Hurkacz (14th) in the quarter-finals 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2) in 2h27.
At 30, the Bulgarian has never reached the final of this tournament which traditionally opens the European season on clay.
He seemed surprised to have come to this, he who had extended his stay in Miami before returning to Europe and the season on earth.
"All I wanted was to train a lot to prepare my game (on clay). So I worked a lot every day, I took the matches one after the other (...) And I there you go!” he commented.
© 2022 AFP