Nadal passes Federer for most ATP Masters 1000 finals after Monfils withdrawal

Montreal, August 11: Rafael Nadal surpassed Roger Federer for most ATP Masters 1000 finals after Gael Monfils withdrew from their Rogers Cup semifinal.

Nadal, the top seed and defending champion, was scheduled to face the Frenchman in a last-four clash in Montreal on Saturday.

However, Monfils withdrew before the encounter, the 32-year-old having edged Roberto Bautista Agut in a quarter-final earlier in the day.

The clash between Monfils and Bautista Agut was pushed back due to rain before the former needed almost two and a half hours to win 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-2).

Nadal will aim for his fifth Rogers Cup title when he faces Russian Daniil Medvedev in the final in what will be their first meeting.

It will mark his 51st ATP Masters 1000 final, moving ahead of Federer (50) and Novak Djokovic (49).

The Spaniard also has a chance to extend his record for most ATP Masters 1000 titles, sitting on 34 – one more than Djokovic.

Nadal broke another record of Federer's earlier this week, passing the Swiss great for most match wins at Masters events.