Internet Desk : 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, 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.
Wawrinka 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.
Meanwhile, it may not be an obsession but the dream for Novak Djokovic of winning the French Open, and with it a full set of grand slam titles, is just one win away after he produced a near-flawless performance on Saturday to crush the rising young Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in the semi-finals. At some stage in the next few years, the 22-year-old Thiem may go on to take Djokovic’s mantle as the world’s best player but for now there is only one maestro.