World No.1 Andy Murray and No.3 tennis player Stan Wawrinka are all set to clash in the first semi-final match of the French Open on Friday. This semi-final meeting between the two will be the second one in a row, and this time the Swiss will be looking to take revenge after he lost to Murray last year.
After a disappointing start to the 2017 tennis season, Murray has no doubt taken his game to the next level at the French Open. With each match, the Scot has been getting better, and despite being pushed to the limit against Juan Martin del Potro and Kei Nishikori, Murray managed to get the win.
Also read: Rafael Nadal thinks Andy Murray will challenge him for French Open title
Murray has also come up against unseeded opponents, and despite that he has not been able to play his best tennis. The Scot will now be playing in his fourth consecutive Roland Garros semi-finals and he will have to be better than his best if he is to make it to the finals.
Murray expects a really interesting and tough match, and hopes that his performance from last year can help him get another win. The Scot was also happy about the fact that despite not playing his best tennis at the moment, he still managed to make it this far.
"I didn't feel like I played great tennis today. It's a huge step in the right direction for me. Anyone can win matches when they are playing well. It's winning when you're not playing your best that is more impressive," ATP's official website quoted Murray as saying.
"So I'm happy about that... Obviously if someone had offered me a semi-final spot before the tournament, I would have signed up for that because I was not playing well at all. And practice also was not good."
As for Wawrinka, the Swiss has not yet dropped a set in the French Open, and while he will hope to carry the pace on Friday, it may be a little difficult against Murray. The World No.3 has also not been in the best of form leading up to the French Open, having suffered early exits in Rome, Madrid and Monte Carlo, but he did manage to win the ATP 250 event in Geneva.
Wawrinka has not been shy in talking about his chances against Murray, and spoke about his struggles in 2017 so far. He hopes to make the most of it as he looks to reach the final.
"Andy defeated me last year. He was playing better. Now the conditions are a little different. I think he's probably a bit less confident, a bit more hesitant. Hopefully I can take advantage of that and find solutions to beat him," Wawrinka said.
Both players have won only one title so far this year, and Murray leads their head-to-head record at the moment, with 10 wins from 17 matches. While Murray has a better record and won their last encounter on clay, Wawrinka has defeated the Scot twice on clay before.
Where to watch
The French Open semi-final between Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka is set to start at 12:45pm local time, 4:15 IST and 11:45pm BST.
TV and live streaming information
India: TV: Star Sports Select HD1. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
Europe: TV: EuroSport. Live Streaming: EuroSport Player.
UK: TV: ITV. Live Streaming: ITV Hub.
Canada: TV: TSN. Live Streaming: TSN TV.
USA: TV: Tennis TV and NBC Sports. Live Streaming: NBC Sports Live.
Australia: TV: Fox Sports. Live Streaming: Foxtel.
Middle East: TV: Bein Sports Arabia. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
