World number one Rafa Nadal will face Frenchman Gael Monfils in the final of the Qatar Open after surviving a tough test against German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk in Doha on Friday.
The Spaniard, warming up for this month’s Australian Open which he missed last year because of illness, dropped the opening set against the world No 162 before raising his game sufficiently to battle through 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Monfils beat another German, Florian Mayer, 6-3, 6-2.
Top seed Nadal was far from his best but said he was pleased with the way he responded to falling behind against a player enjoying the best week of his career.
“The positive thing is I am in the finals the first week of the season without arriving here with big preparation,” Nadal said. “Without playing my best, I was able to find a solution. It’s true that I finished the match playing better than what I started. That’s always a positive thing.”