Rafa Nadal stayed on course for a record-extending 10th Monte Carlo Masters title when the Spaniard beat David Goffin 6-3 6-1 in the semifinals after the Belgian was denied a key point in controversial fashion on Saturday.
The 10th-seeded Goffin was 3-2 up and on game point when chair umpire Cedric Mourier ruled a Nadal shot was in but the Hawkeye system, which is not being used by officials on clay, showed the ball was long.
The point was replayed and fourth seed Nadal went on to break back before winning 10 of the remaining 11 games to set up a meeting with fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos in Sunday's final after the 15th seed beat France's Lucas Pouille 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.
The crowd booed Mourier and a dejected Goffin did not shake the umpire's hand at the end of the match.
"I imagine the ball was out but I was on the other side, I could not see the mark," said Nadal, who will play his 11th Monte Carlo final on Sunday.
Goffin made a brilliant start, playing aggressively and breaking in the third game as nine-times French Open champion Nadal looked clumsy. The fourth-seeded Spaniard returned long on game point in the sixth game and the line umpire called the ball out but he was over-ruled by Mourier, who got off his chair to show Goffin a mark -- the wrong one.
"It's wrong, it's wrong," said Goffin, who eventually lost the 17-minute game after wasting other game points.
The Belgian never recovered and Nadal blazed through the rest of the match, which he won in less than an hour.
Earlier, claycourt specialist Ramos, who beat world number one Andy Murray and fifth seed Marin Cilic en route to the semifinals, survived the loss of the second set to down the 11th-seeded Pouille.
Bopanna-Cuevas in final
In the doubles semifinal, India’s Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay defeated Romain Arneodo and Hugo Nys 6-4, 6-3 to enter the final. They will take on Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez for the title.
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