Monte Carlo Masters 2017: Rafael Nadal in 11th Final After Controversial Win

Rafael Nadal qualified for his 11th Monte Carlo Masters final on Saturday with a two-set win over David Goffin, but a controversial moment in the first set overshadowed his triumph.

Goffin was on the verge of breaking for 4-2 when the umpire overruled a line judge to force a replay, with Nadal not conceding the point, even though the ball was out by a foot.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Elsewhere, Albert Ramos-Vinolas qualified for the final with a win over Lucas Pouille. Here's a look at Saturday's scores:

Rafael Nadal beats David Goffin	6-3, 6-1
Albert Ramos-Vinolas beats Lucas Pouille	6-3, 5-7, 6-1

The final of this year's Monte Carlo Masters will take place on Sunday.

Recap

Goffin has been in fine form of late and kept things close with Nadal for six games, but after the Spanish star shifted gears and was aided by a horrendous call from the umpire, the Belgian lost his composure and the set.

Nadal showed why he has won an incredible nine titles in Monaco, bombarding Goffin with rising forehands and sending the Belgian running all over the court. Goffin previously beat Novak Djokovic with superb defensive tennis in Monte Carlo, and during the first five games, he was able to keep up with Nadal as well.

But then the umpire struck, with Goffin set to break for 4-2. Nadal clearly missed long with a shot, with replays confirming the ball was out by more than a foot.

The line judge called the ball out, but the umpire overruled and promptly looked at the wrong spot, per Live Tennis:

The fans were furious with the umpire and Nadal, who refused to concede the point and won the replay to avoid a break.

He kept his cool and dominated the rest of the way, but the fans continued to voice their displeasure, even after the Spaniard took the first set, via TennisTV:

Goffin complained to the supervisor in between sets but appeared to rediscover his composure, once again battling Nadal close. He even conceded a point early, which earned him a standing ovation from the French crowd.

But Nadal had gotten into his rhythm at this point and grabbed back-to-back breaks to take a 4-1 advantage. Goffin's head was clearly elsewhere, and the match ended on a whimper.

Per Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times, it was clear the call had a big impact:

Earlier in the day, Ramos-Vinolas continued his remarkable run with a three-set win over Pouille. As shared by Rothenberg, it was the latest step in what has been an incredible stretch for the Spaniard:

He'll make his first-ever appearance in a Masters final, setting up a storybook scenario where he could beat his illustrious compatriot to win the biggest title of his career.