World No. 2 Rafael Nadal defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-4 in a quality quarter-final encounter at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open Thursday to reach the semi-finals for the third straight year in Doha. "I think I played my best match here today," declared Nadal.Nadal, bidding to win his first title at the event in his fifth appearance, will square off against No. 4 seed Gael Monfils. The 16th-ranked Monfils dismissed fifth seed Viktor Troicki 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 12 minutes. The Frenchman broke Troicki five times and won 52 per cent of his return points to improve his record against the Serb to a 2-0 mark. "I was ready to put on my best by overpower[ing] him and just control[ing] the court," said Monfils. "So it was a tactic, I think. That's why I played like this tonight."
Monfils, seeking his fifth title, has defeated Nadal just once in their previous nine meetings. However, his lone victory against the 10-time major champion came in the Doha quarter-finals two years ago. "It will be tough. I have to play like I did tonight," Monfils said in an on-court interview. "I know what Rafa will give me and he knows what I will give him. It will be a strong match from the baseline."
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