Rafael Nadal
Tennis - Monte Carlo Masters - Monaco, 15/04/2016. Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning his match against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland. Reuters/Eric Gaillard

Rafael Nadal continues his impressive form at the Monte Carlo Masters when he meets world No. 2 Andy Murray in the semifinal round of the tournament.

Nadal is having a remarkable run at the Monte Carlo Masters, where the King of Clay hopes to win his first ATP World Tour title of the year on his favourite surface. The 29-year-old has been struggling to find his tennis mojo in the past two seasons, but Nadal looks a bit of his old self after defeating Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals 6-1 6-4.

“I defended well, I moved well,” Nadal said, reports the ATP’s official website. “When I had the opportunity, I was trying to control the point with my forehand and with my backhand, too. I am very happy with the way that I played. The important thing is to play points in a row with the right intensity, without many mistakes.”

With career rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer out of the tournament, Nadal gets a more vivid picture of the Monte Carlo Masters title, which he won eight successive times from 2005 to 2012. However, Nadal should hope he could sustain the energy and level of play when he meets Murray, who has also been on a mini slump prior to joining the event.

Murray was also on point in his quarterfinal clash against Milos Raonic, defeating the upcoming Canadian youngster in swift fashion 6-2 6-0. Similar to Nadal’s 2016 campaign, Murray also suffered early exits at tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, but may have a shot at reclaiming glory, with the rest of the Big Four out of the Monte Carlo Masters.

"It's the most challenging surface for me every year," Murray said. Reports the BBC. "It normally takes me a few weeks to remember what I need to do, how to move, the way to build up the points and making sure you don't rush."

Nadal leads Murray by 16-6 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head win-loss counts, with the 140-time Grand Slam winner three of their last five meetings. Their last match was at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals last year, where Nadal defeated Murray 6-4 6-1 in a round robin clash.

Live streaming info and score updates

Watch the Monte Carlo Masters 2016 live via ATP’s official website or TennisTV. Live scores for matches will be available on game days via ATP's official website.

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