Djokovic beats Murray to seal place in final
World No.1 faces Wawrinka for French Open title
PARIS: Moving within one victory of completing a career Grand Slam, Novak Djokovic reached the French Open final by getting past Andy Murray 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1 yesterday in the resumption of a suspended match.
The semi-final was halted at three-all in the fourth set on Friday night because of an incoming storm. Murray grabbed that set when they returned to the court, but Djokovic was superb in the fifth, and yesterday’s play took 61 minutes.
Djokovic already owns eight major titles, but none from Roland Garros, where he lost the 2012 and 2014 finals to Rafael Nadal, the nine-time champion he eliminated in this year’s quarter-finals.
Top seed Djokovic stretched his winning streak to 28 matches by beating No.3 Murray, a two-time major champion who had won his past 15 matches, all on clay.
In today’s final, Djokovic will face eighth seed Stan Wawrinka with a chance to become only the eighth man in tennis history to win all four majors and put him halfway to a rare calendar Grand Slam, a feat achieved by just two men, most recently by Australian great Rod Laver back in 1969.
After 10 minutes of action, and a combined trio of holds at love by the two men, it was 5-4 for Djokovic, putting him one game away. Sounds like a little. Turned out he would need to wait.
Murray held to five-all, then suddenly broke for a 6-5 lead. One point contained 33 strokes, most magnificent, none more so than Murray’s drop shot that won it when Djokovic’s hustling reply landed in the net. Murray then added a running crosscourt backhand passing shot, and when Djokovic contributed a couple of flubbed forehands, the set was over, 25 minutes after yesterday’s initial point was contested.
So dominant all season, so nearly perfect while taking the first 17 sets he played the past two weeks, Djokovic now found himself on the brink against Murray, who was shaking his fist while looking into the stands, riling up himself and sympathetic spectators.
There was no wilt from Djokovic, though. He’d come so far, thought about this tournament so much, that if he could possibly play better, possibly find a way to handle Murray’s indefatigable defence, he would.
And Djokovic did. He cleaned up his game, while Murray blinked a bit, committing a series of errors to allow Djokovic to break for a 2-0 lead in the fifth set.
The 28-year-old Serb, who got married and had a child last year, has spoken about being content off the court and supremely confident on it. Who would argue? He is 41-2 this season with five titles. “He is a machine,” Wawrinka said. For Murray, it was a third semi-final loss at Roland Garros meaning Britain’s wait for a first men’s finalist since Bunny Austin in 1937 goes on.