Murray reaches first French Open final
| Andy Murray v Stan Wawrinka |
|---|
| Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 3 June Time: Not before 14:00 BST |
| Coverage: Live radio and text commentary on selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, the BBC Sport website and app. |
Andy Murray outplayed defending champion Stan Wawrinka to become the first British man to reach a French Open final since 1937.
The Scot, seeded second, won 6-4 6-2 4-6 6-2 and will face world number one Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final.
Djokovic beat Austrian 13th seed Dominic Thiem 6-2 6-1 6-4.
Murray, 29, matches the achievement of Britain’s last finalist Bunny Austin – and will now hope to equal Fred Perry’s victory of 1936.
He also becomes one of only 10 men since the open era began in 1968 to have reached the final of all four Grand Slam tournaments.
“I’m extremely proud,” said Murray. “I never expected to reach the final here, I always struggled on the clay. I hope I can put on a good match on Sunday.”
Murray ends Wawrinka’s reign
Wawrinka, 31, had won their last three matches and came out firing on all cylinders, but once Murray had saved a break point in a lengthy opening service game he steadily assumed control.
A backhand smash gave Murray the break in game three and he served superbly under pressure to fend off three break points before sealing the set after 50 minutes.
The brilliant shot-making that had helped Wawrinka upset Djokovic in last year’s final was increasingly matched by errors as Murray’s terrific movement made winners hard to come by.
Wawrinka looked a forlorn figure when Murray broke to love early in the second set, and a second break soon followed as the Briton buzzed with energy on a dank afternoon in Paris.
Murray closed it out with another winning first serve and looked on the verge of victory with a break point in the third, but Wawrinka hit a big serve down the middle and raised his level as the set progressed.
It still appeared that Murray was the man in control but from 5-4, 40-15 he lost four straight points and Wawrinka roared in delight as he clinched the set.
There was no sustained comeback from the champion, however, as Murray regained the initiative in the fourth set with an immediate break.
An unplayable drop shot followed by a stunning lob showed the confidence of the former Wimbledon and US Open champion, and he broke serve for a fifth time on his way to a comprehensive victory.
“To play at that level in the semis of the French Open is very pleasing,” added Murray. “There was a lot of pressure there today.”
Wawrinka said: “I think that Andy played really so well today. He was the strongest on the court.”
Analysis
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
“This was a pitch perfect performance from Murray, who has turned himself into the complete modern clay-court player. He was not the only one who thought a place in the French Open final might be one of the few career goals to escape him.
“Wawrinka’s opening salvo was ferocious and yet crucially it was Murray who had the break of serve by the first change of ends. The drop shot was used expertly, and judiciously, and more than often he found just the right moment to steal into the net. Murray’s serve was commanding, and Wawrinka’s chipped returns ineffectual.
“Knocking out the champion has allowed Murray to dominate the headlines, but Djokovic tuned up perfectly for Sunday, too. He has played on each of the last four days, but offered his opponents very few crumbs of comfort.”
Djokovic too strong for Thiem
Top seed Djokovic looked in superb form as he saw off Thiem in straight sets to reach a fourth French Open final.
The Serb, 29, dominated against a player in his first Grand Slam semi-final to move within one victory of completing the set of all four major titles.
Their semi-final was played on the second show court as organisers looked to get the schedule back on track after persistent rain in Paris.
“The atmosphere was fantastic,” said Djokovic. “It’s the first time I have played a semi-final on the Suzanne Lenglen court.
“I played the best tennis of the tournament so far. I am now in the situation where I always dream of being each season, in the final of Roland Garros.”
Djokovic has now reached six consecutive Grand Slam finals and will try to win his 12th title on Sunday.
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