Nicolas Almagro has reached the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open courtesy of a 6-3 7-5 victory over Juan Monaco.

Both competitors were evenly matched in the early stages of the opening set, hitting powerful shots and committing swift returns across the court to keep games going by the way of serve.

While Monaco tried to make the breakthrough, it was not enough to push Almagro, who snatched a vital break of serve to push on and wrap up the first set.

The pair continued to take games to the wire in the second set, but neither player could initially take the advantage and nab a break point.

However, Almagro secured a vital break of serve and held his game to ensure a place in the final four of the competition.