It's Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray in the French Open men's singles final, after the two best players in the game today saw off their respective opponents in some style on Friday. While Djokovic swatted aside Dominic Thiem in his semifinal, Murray proved to be too strong for Stan Wawrinka, ending the Swiss' title defence.
Djokovic was smooth and easy in his 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 win over Thiem, in his first ever Grand Slam semifinal, and the Serbian will now be a little relieved he does not have to face the man who stunned him in the final last season.
Having said that, however, it is a bit of a double-edged sword, because in Murray, Djokovic will be facing the man closest to his level. While the Brit struggled in the early part of the French Open, fighting his way through one five-setter after another, the world number two looked in control against Wawrinka.
After a long first service game, which went over the ten-minute mark, Murray pierced the Wawrinka armour with great regularity, with another long game, that almost went to 10 minutes, giving him the first set 6-4.
The second was a lot more comfortable, with a couple of breaks giving Murray the set 6-2, and while Wawrinka came back to take the third 6-4, courtesy a break in the tenth and final game of the set, there was no stopping Murray. The Brit showed no signs of lethargy or a loss of confidence after dropping his service game at the crucial juncture, with Murray breaking Wawrinka in the first game of the fourth set.
From there, try as Wawrinka might, and with the crowd pulling for the Swiss as well as they cried out for a five-set classic, there was no way for Murray was going to fold, with the fourth set of the match going his way 6-2.
Now, it is all about the two best players in the world, with Murray trying to find his mojo against a near-unstoppable Djokovic in a Grand Slam neither has won before.
Earlier, in the women's semifinals, Serena Williams entered another final after a comprehensive 7-6 (9-7),6-4 over Kiki Bertens. The American will now face Garbine Muguruza in the final, in a repeat of the Wimbledon final last year, after the Spaniard overwhelmed Sam Stosur 6-2, 6-4.
