Juan Mónaco is one step closer to winning his ninth career ATP singles title…

The 29-year-old Argentine tennis star defeated Spain’s Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the semifinals of the bet-at-home Cup in Kitzbuhel, Austria.

Mónaco, the tournament’s second-seed, secured the victory on the strength of his impressive baseline game, winning a whopping 80-percent of his second-serve points throughout the one-hour, 54-minute contest.

Gimeno-Traver, by contrast, went for bigger serves than the Argentine and won a higher percentage of first-serve points (69 percent to 62 percent) but struggled when he needed to put his second serve in play, winning only 45 percent of those points.

Next up for Mónaco in Friday’s semifinals will be Spain’s Albert Montañes, a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Austrian wildcard Dominic Thiem.

Mónaco, who won this event in 2007, is seeking his ninth career ATP singles title.

This Austrian stop on the ATP Tour dates back to 1894, making it one of the oldest events in men’s tennis.