Roger Federer was knocked out of the Monte Carlo Masters when he slumped to a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 defeat by local favorite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals Friday. The Swiss third seed, back in action this week after a 10-week layoff, started brightly as he breezed through the opening set but Tsonga, targeting Federer's forehand, played tighter and leveled with a strong display in the second. The Frenchman broke in the 11th game of the decider with a passing shot winner and he closed it out on serve on his first match point to set up a meeting with countryman 13th-seeded Gael Monfils, who beat Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-2, 6-4. Earlier, there were glimpses of the formidable Rafa Nadal as the eight-time champion swept aside French Open champion Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-4. The Spaniard, who set a tournament record of 46 wins in a row in the principality from 2005 to 2013 when he finished runner-up, will take on Andy Murray for a place in the final. World No. 2 Andy Murray raced into last four with a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Canadian Milos Raonic. Opening proceedings on center court, the Briton, who struggled in the previous round, was never bothered by 10th seed Raonic in a one-sided match. Murray, who hit 19 winners and did not face single break point, was beaten twice by Nadal in the semifinals of the first claycourt Masters of the season. The fifth-seeded Nadal, who broke decisively in the ninth game of the second set, has yet to win a title this year. "It's exactly what I need, it's what I'm looking for, it gives me confidence," Nadal said. Depleted Czechs, Swiss battle in Fed Cup semis Defending champion Czech Republic will have to make do without leading duo Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova for this weekend's Fed Cup semifinal against Switzerland in Lucerne. However, the host also suffered a hefty blow as Swiss No. 1 Belinda Bencic pulled out of the tie with a back injury that will require the 19-year-old to rest for at least four weeks. With two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova struggling for form and Safarova sliding down the rankings as she grapples with the impact of a bacterial infection from last September, the Czechs will count on 18th-ranked Karolina Pliskova as they bid for a fifth title in six years. Pliskova won both singles rubbers before teaming up with Barbora Strycova to overcome Romania 3-2 in February, and those two will be joined by 61st-ranked Denisa Allertova and veteran Lucie Hradecka, who is 10th in the doubles rankings. The Swiss toppled a Germany team featuring Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in round one, but coach Heinz Guenthardt has opted against naming a replacement for the sidelined Bencic. Without the world No. 10, Switzerland could be forced to turn to Martina Hingis in singles as well as doubles to back up Timea Bacsinszky, with 129th-ranked Viktorija Golubic the only other alternative. Switzerland is eyeing its first Fed Cup final since 1998 when Hingis, then at the peak of her powers, was part of the side that lost 3-2 to Spain. France is chasing a first finals appearance since 2005 and goes into its tie on clay in Trelaze as heavy favorite against surprise semifinalist the Netherlands. Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia teamed up to win the doubles at Charleston last week, while the presence of Alize Cornet ensures France have three players inside the top 50 at their disposal. In contrast, the Dutch, who dumped out Russia to reach the last four for the first time since 1997, have just one representative inside the world's top 100 in Kiki Bertens (96). — Agencies
