MONTE CARLO — World No. 1 Novak Djokovic laid down an early French Open marker when he reached the Monte Carlos Masters final with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-3 win over eight-time champion Rafa Nadal Saturday. Serbian Djokovic, who ended Nadal's reign on the principality's claycourts in the 2013 final, will meet Czech Tomas Berdych after the sixth seed beat local favorite Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-4 in the other semifinal. Saturday's match was a serious reality check for the third-seeded Nadal, who is hoping to clinch his 10th Roland Garros title. The Spaniard never found the appropriate depth to unsettle Djokovic, who is looking to win his third consecutive Masters title after triumphing in Indian Wells and Miami. “Even when I was a break down in the first set I kept a winning mentality,” Djokovic told a courtside interviewer. “I stayed focused. I'm in great shape, I don't feel tired.” Earlier, Berdych reached the final by cutting Monfils down to size, breezing through the opening set without facing a single break point. Monfils, who beat Roger Federer and Grigor Dimitrov en route to the semifinals in the European claycourt season's opening tournament, offered more resistance in the second set but made too many unforced errors. Russia, France lead 2-0 Russia is on the brink of a place in the Fed Cup final after Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Germany's Sabine Lisicki for a 2-0 lead Saturday in the World Group semifinals. Pavlyuchenkova saved a match point in the second set before going on to beat Lisicki 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 after Svetlana Kuznetsova had earlier beaten Julia Goerges in straight sets in the opening rubber. The result leaves Russia needing one win from Sunday's three matches to reach the final and challenge for a first Fed Cup title since 2008. With the Czech Republic leading France 2-0 in the other semifinal after Saturday's play, there is potential for a rematch of the 2011 final, when the Czechs beat Russia in Moscow. In Ostrava, Czechs Lucie Safarova and Petra Kvitova won the opening singles. Safarova saved five match points before beating Caroline Garcia 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1 and Kvitova returned from almost a two-month break to defeat Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-4. US, Italy share singles Top-ranked Serena Williams overcame a stiff challenge in the opening set for a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over Italy's Camila Giorgi Saturday in a Fed Cup World Group playoff. Italy's Sara Errani then evened the best-of-five series with the United States at 1-1 by routing 57th-ranked Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-2. Hingis beaten Five-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis played and lost her first competitive singles match since 2007 as Switzerland and Poland tied 1-1 on the first day of the Fed Cup World Group playoff on Saturday. Agnieszka Radwanska beat Hingis 6-4, 6-0 while her younger sister Urszula Radwanska lost to Timea Bacsinszky 2-6, 1-6 on the hard indoor court. — Agencies
