Black Tennis Pro's

Gael Monfils delighted the home crowd by overcoming the Czech Republic's Radek Stepanek to reach the final of the Paris Masters.

The Paris-born player, world No 16, shared the opening two sets with the Czech but broke at 5-4 in the third to take the match 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 and set up a clash with Novak Djokovic.

Monfils said, "I know on Sunday I'll give my life on the court. I want to win. I'm not listening to my body any more."

A lot of Monfils’ best results have come in France. Last year he made the French Open semis and he won his first title this autumn for four years in Metz. "When I play in front of my family and the French crowd, I feel immediately a lot better," Monfils explained. "I believe in myself. I don't have much autonomy, but I believe in it. I try to do my best, and my level of game gets higher. I move well. I surprise myself."