Murray sends out defending champion, Wawrinka

Second seed, Andy Murray, defeated the defending champion, Stanislas Wawrinka, in the semifinal match of the on-going French Open yesterday and will now face Novak Djokovic, who dismissed Dominic Thiem, in the other match-up. A single service break was enough for Murray to take the opening set 6-4. The second set witnessed quick games and only in the fifth game was the contest taken to deuce. Murray served well and broke his opponent two times in the set for a 6-1 lead.



The defending champion re-tooled and took the first game of the third set, but Murray replied by taking his serve at love. Wawrinka was forced to deuce in the third game, but he clinched it. Games went with serve and Wawrinka took a 5-4 lead.

Serving to stay in the set, Murray lost his first service point but recovered to reach 40-15. A sliced return by Wawrinka elicited a netted forehand. A low dipping shot midcourt got another forehand error; taking game to deuce. Murray lost the advantage and faced break point. He drove his opponent deep and had an overhead shot to put away; Wawrinka guessed right and drilled a backhand winner to clinch the set. The spectators were on their feet, hoping that a match was in the offing.

Fourth Set. Murray broke Wawrinka in the opening game and took his game to consolidate. In the third game, Murray hit a drop shot winner to reach 30-40 but was deuced. Wawrinka hit a volley that Murray reached and threw up a topspin lobe past the reach of his opponent and landed in. He had a break point, but it was saved by Wawrinka, who went on to win the game and register on the set score.

Murray held at love to lead 3-1. The defending champion hit a drop shot that nipped the net and rolled over for a 40-0 game point. Another net cord shot on volley earned him the fifth game. The Scot won the sixth game easily on his serve and so did the Swiss. In the seventh game, Wawrinka lost three consecutive points on his serve; saved a break point but lost to give his opponent a 5-2 lead.

Serving for the match, Murray charged the net on his serve but his opponent’s return sailed wide. Two points later he was serving for the match. At match point, Stan returned Murray’s serve and was pushed deep, forcing the defending champion to scramble and lift up a low lob that Murray put away. He had dethroned the defending champion and would be facing Novak Djokovic in the finals.

The world number one player defeated the 13th seed, Dominic Thiem of Austria (Osterreich), 6/2; 6/1; 6/4 in a one-sided encounter. The up-coming star wilted under the pressure of the occasion, his first foray to the semi-finals of a Grand Slam event.