Summary Novak Djokovic will meet Roger Federer in the Monte Carlo Masters semi-finals.
MONTE CARLO (AFP) - Defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the Monte Carlo Masters semi-finals on Friday.
Djokovic, the second seed, looked to be heading towards the same possible upset fate which befell eight-time champion Rafael Nadal earlier in the day when the Spaniard lost to David Ferrer 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.
But Djokovic held his nerve, saving two key break points in the seventh game of the second set to turn the tide against the winner of the Casablanca claycourt title last weekend.
Djokovic will face off in a Saturday semi-final against Roger Federer, whom he beat in last month's Indian Wells final but lost to in Dubai in February.
Meanwhile Federer, bidding to win the title for the first time, squandered his first 15 break points before finally coming good on a 16th on his way to a 2-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 defeat of French ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Defending champion Djokovic was then taken to three sets by Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain before the Serb second seed finally won 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 on his fourth match point and more than two hours of battle.
Federer, seeded fourth, won his 950th career match in a topsy-turvy clash against Tsonga, winning the second set on a fourth set point before running away with the third.
But Federer admitted he will need to step up his game when he faces Djokovic against whom he lost in the final at Indian Wells in March.
"I was frustrated, let's be honest," said Federer, who briefly lost his famous cool against Tsonga when he fired a ball out of the stadium.
"I did chuck a ball out of the stadium, I did scream sometimes. I was aggravated to a degree, but not to the extent where I totally lost it.
"I was not actually playing poorly or terribly, I was just taking wrong decisions sometimes. That kind of matched up with Jo's genius play sometimes, and his erratic play as we know it.
"I was just hoping my game was not going to go down because I was missing break points. So I was very happy with the composure overall. That got me home at the end, I think."
Djokovic also struggled to make the last four against Garcia-Lopez who had won the Casablanca claycourt title last weekend.
"I started out very poorly," said Djokovic. "There are no easy quarter-finals. Garcia-Lopez played well and I had to work for this win.
"I finally started to play as I wanted in the second set. I began to play more aggressively and I'm very content with this win."
Djokovic held his nerve with new coach Boris Becker looking on, saving two key break points in the seventh game of the second set to turn the tide.
